Crimson Reflections
by Lady Hanaka
Summary: The continuation of A Ripple in the Pond. Sakura Haruno is now a missingnin from Konoha, living with the Akatsuki. As she comes to terms with her new lifestyle, she must also come to terms with her new feelings for the Mangekyou wielding Uchiha.
1. Prologue

**Crimson Reflections**

**Prologue: **

"Where is my scroll Orochimaru?" Tomokazu sat down on Orochimaru's large, throne-like chair, making himself comfortable. He watched him lazily, his smile calm and kind. It was always like that, so threatening in its civility. He regarded him coolly with his silver, wolf like eyes.

Orochimaru would have clenched his hands if he could. He merely gave a small grimace, which he hoped went unnoticed by his observer. He stopped pacing for the moment, turning to look at Tomokazu who was lounging lazily in his chair as if he owned the place.

"I think it's rather obvious that I don't have it, Tomokazu."

"Why not?" Still calm, with a sickening sweetness to it.

"Because she wasn't there. That's why." Orochimaru bit out, sitting down in the chair opposite Tomokazu. It was strange, since Orochimaru had the chair put out for Tomokazu, not himself. Their positions seemed to be reversed at the moment.

"Could your men not follow simple directions?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "The home in Stone was deserted."

Tomokazu gave a small, annoyed sigh. "They left? How unfortunate."

"It certainly isn't _my_ fault." Orochimaru answered back.

Tomokazu merely picked up the wine glass sitting on the table by the chair. He swirled the red liquid around, watching it with his small, cold smile. "It's been seven days, Orochimaru. You can still count, correct?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed even more as he sneered, but he said nothing.

"Or can you only count to three? I remember, most of those important things you do take what, three years? Yes, three seems to be the highest number you can comprehend." Tomokazu gave a small sigh. "It's a pity, you can't even do anything within _that_ amount of time correctly."

Orochimaru ground his teeth. He was tired of taking this kind of talk from Tomokazu. He was Orochimaru, one of the three legendary Sannin! Tomokazu was merely a little orphaned brat he had taken in at a young age. He should have killed him rather than taught him.

Tomokazu placed the cup back on the table, slowly standing. "Let's do a little more math, Orochimaru. Can you tell me what seven minus three is?" Tomokazu looked back at him with an innocent, childlike glance that held a malevolence Orochimaru wasn't expecting.

"It's four, you fool."

Suddenly Tomokazu was standing behind him. "Quite correct, four. The same number of chambers we have inside of our heart, did you know that?"

Orochimaru shifted in his seat, glaring daggers at Tomokazu. _What game is he playing?_

"Of course I did. What are you getting at?"

"I wonder, how painful it would be if all four chambers inside of your heart collapsed, Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru's body went cold as he paled slightly. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You're so worried about your arms, Orochimaru…" Tomokazu chuckled, placing a hand on Orochimaru's shoulder. "But really, there are so many things, ever so much more painful."

Orochimaru barely had time to let out a small, choked growl as blood began trickling down his mouth. He coughed, the crimson liquid spattering the back of the chair in front of him.

"I said seven days, Orochimaru. You failed. No ones goes back on a deal they have made with me." Tomokazu's own eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, watching Orochimaru's chest heave as he coughed up more blood.

_How…how did he get so powerful?_

"…Tomo…kaz…u…" Orochimaru managed between gasps, before he gave into another fit of coughing.

"Yes, Orochimaru-_sama_?" Tomokazu asked scathingly.

_Could it be…he was hiding his strength from me all this time…?_

"…y…ou…bast…ard…"

_…how clever…_

There was a long moment of silence as Tomokazu listened to Orochimaru's wheezes before he fell silent. Tomokazu continued to stare at him from behind his long bangs, before he walked over to the small table and picked up the wine glass.

He gave a small frown as he saw that a few drops of Orochimaru's blood had gotten inside.

He took a sip anyway, looking back at Orochimaru with a silent, mocking toast. "My parentage, Orochimaru, has already been established. Name calling is rather unnecessary and childish, don't you think?" He gave a low chuckle as he placed his Akatsuki hat back on his head.

"It's a pity, really. Just think of what you could have done with your arms. Konoha wouldn't have been a problem for you…" he gave a secretive, slow smile.

"Especially with Sakura Haruno being a missing-nin now."

**(A/N: Hehe, how did you all like that cute little prologue? I'm sure it's a wonderful little teaser for the first chapter. Sorry if any of you liked Orochimaru (I did, personally, he's one of those creepy evil guys that you just can't help to love) but he had to go. If he was still there then…geeze it would be so confusing. Sakura has enough on her mind as it is. She doesn't need HIM still after her.**

**First chapter: kind of depressing but cute at the same time. Sort of telling everyone's reactions to everything. And explanations for their decisions, of course. **

**Until the first chapter, **

**Your faithful servant, Lady Hanaka.**

**Here's your quote:** **Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.)**


	2. Chapter 1: Sleepless Nights

**Because I know all of you loved that small little teaser of a prologue I gave you, here's a nice long chapter! I was going to make it shorter and put some of this in the next chapter but...I just couldn't do it. I had to fit it all in here. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1**

**Sleepless Nights**

**Two weeks later**

Sakura Haruno, former ANBU captain of squad three, apprentice of the legendary Sannin Tsunade, and top medical shinobi in Konoha save for her sensei, sat down on the smooth wooden floor, brooding.

They had just arrived at the abandoned Buddhist temple in Cloud, which was the Akatsuki headquarters there. Zetsu had greeted them and sent Itachi and Kisame on a mission the moment they had arrived, saying that two of the other Akatsuki members would be coming to the temple within a few days.

Sakura hadn't really paid attention.

She didn't even know if those few days had already passed. She wouldn't be surprised if the two Akatsuki members had come and gone. She had barely moved from her spot to eat and drink.

She hadn't slept.

She couldn't.

Sakura shifted, pulling the large fur blanket around her shoulders. After seeing Sakura's present mood, Deidara had gotten it for her in hopes of cheering her. It had not worked. Sakura merely let herself be encompassed by its warmth, which took off the chilly sting that shot through the high mountain air.

The floor was oddly comfortable to her. She supposed it was because she was so used to sleeping on the ground now. There was a bed in the room that had been set aside for her, but she had yet to go into it.

The first night after arriving, she had sat down in the small back room of the main temple building, secluding herself from everyone. She needed time to think. Her entire life, the existence she had been making for herself, now ceased to exist. She felt as if she were a different person.

She wondered if perhaps she had been half mad when she had decided to stay with the Akatsuki.

If she had been in her right mind, would she have gone with them?

_But I have no regrets, remember?_ She muttered to herself, almost sarcastically, throwing it in her own face.

_What am I doing here?_

Her eyes stung, but no tears fell. Sakura had ceased to cry since that night. The fur tickled her nose as she buried her face in its softness. She couldn't find it, her reason. She felt as if her shinobi way was disappearing rapidly around her.

She had sworn to protect her new friends, but they hardly needed her help. _She_ was the one who had needed Itachi to save her. And she still had yet to find the reason for his doing so.

The only thing she could do was heal. And she had done that already.

_They stopped for a moment after Kisame had seen Sakura's strength waning. She had still yet to regain her strength, and her leg was hurting her slightly. _

_They fell into an uncomfortable silence, unusual with Sakura around. But she was the one who usually spoke, and she was as silent as the grave. _

_Deidara gave a worried frown, unsure as to what to do. His heart ached as he saw Sakura in pain, and he wanted to go and comfort her. But he didn't think she would want that, not now. He felt a small twinge of pain as he stretched his arm._

_"Let me see."_

_Everyone turned to look at Sakura. Her voice had barely been above a whisper, but they had all heard it, they'd all stopped to listen._

_Deidara didn't have time answer as Sakura walked over to him._

_"It's fine, yeah." Deidara began, but when she pressed her finger onto his shoulder he winced. She withdrew it and her thumb was covered in what looked to be almost dried blood._

_"You don't have the energy to heal me, Sakura-chan." Deidara tried to begin again, but Sakura merely grabbed his arm, gently but firmly as she pulled the sleeve back._

_"I'm a healer, Deidara. Let me at least do this." Her voice was biting and disjointed, as if she didn't know how to speak to him anymore. Deidara's gaze softened as he gave a small, comforting smile to her._

_"Heal me up quick then doc, yeah."_

_Sakura sealed the wound efficiently, her fingers rubbing over the spot, still glowing with a few, remaining vestiges of chakra to soothe the pain. When she finished, Deidara mumbled a thanks with a small smile. _

_Sakura turned to Kisame and he threw up his hands._

_"Nah, nah, kitten. It'll heal on its own. I want a scar to help impress the ladies." He winked. "It'll make me look dangerous."_

_Deidara muttered under his breath, "You look like a giant fish. You don't need any help in that category."_

_Sakura merely gripped his chin in her hand, making him bend over so she could reach his cheek. "You'll look very dangerous with your face rotting off, now won't you?" There was no usual smile after her small tease. No, it was all said in her sad, deadened voice._

_Kisame frowned, giving a small pout. _

_Sakura ignored it as she finished. She turned to Sasori but he shook his head. He wasn't injured anywhere she could heal him. She supposed that was true. She then peered out of the corner of her eye at the last person in their group._

_Itachi._

_He was standing away from the others. Away from her. He seemed to be distancing himself even more and she couldn't understand why. He had saved her, and now he didn't want anything to do with her?_

_"Itachi—" She began._

_"I'm not wounded."_

Like hell you're not._ Sakura thought angrily. She knew he had burnt his hand when he had stopped Sasuke's Chidori—twice. She tried not to let him see how much his retort had hurt._

_"Very well."_

Sakura blinked wearily. She and Itachi hadn't spoken after that. He seemed to be avoiding her. She wondered, however, if he merely needed time to think. He had done something so completely out of character when he had saved her life.

Maybe _he_ didn't know the reason why he had done it.

Sakura shifted her blanket on her shoulders as a large gust of wind blew the shutters on the window open. A chilling wind swirled around her, making her hair fly into her eyes. The only candle in the room blew out, plunging her into darkness. The only light came from the glowing moon outside of her window.

She stood, slowly and carefully, like an old woman. She hadn't moved from her position since the morning, and her legs were cramping terribly. Her stomach grumbled. She gave a small sigh. She supposed she couldn't ignore it any longer. She hadn't eaten in two days.

She was sure Deidara was soon going to come and force feed her if she didn't eat something soon. She'd grab a bowl of rice, as well as a few matches. She didn't have enough chakra to do a fire jutsu, and it would have merely been a waste with a matchbox in the large temple room, where the incense was lit. How long it had been since someone had prayed here, Sakura didn't wish to guess.

She slid open the door to the small room, which lead out into a hallway. She pulled her blanket tighter around herself as she began walking. As she did so, she continued thinking as well.

_I wonder what Sasuke is doing right now._ She cold just imagine him, sitting in front of the Uchiha compound, staring into it, his eyes burning with hatred. Not only for Itachi now, but also for her.

_**"You're just like him now Sakura. You…I vow to kill. You betrayed me. You won't do so again."**_

Sakura closed her eyes wearily. _Sasuke…when did you become so full of hate? Or did I just not see it before? Were you always like this?_ She blinked, trying to make her eyes adjust to the dim half-light of the hallway. It was an eerie glow that shone through the sliding door that led into the main temple room.

_If I had stayed with them…If I had been allowed to go back to Konoha with all of you…the pain of being so near Sasuke with him hating me would have been unbearable. _Sakura had thought that the pain Tomokazu had inflicted had been the most unimaginable, horrible thing someone could experience. But she doubted that now.

This hurt worse.

_Because it will never go away._

Sakura slowly slid the door open, feeling herself engulfed in a warm glow as she walked inside of the room. She immediately noticed that it was a good seven or so degrees warmer in this room than in the one she had been sleeping in.

She looked around with a small sigh, wondering where the matches would be. Candles flickered around the room, sending up small amounts of curling smoke that disappeared through some hole in the ceiling that Sakura did not see, though in truth she did not truly search for it. The flames' shadows twisted across the walls, dancing.

Once, she would have found it beautiful. She would have watched it with a small, wondering smile on her face.

But now, it only reminded her of the warmth she no longer felt.

"Good evening, Sakura-chan, yeah."

Sakura turned to where the sound had come from. Sure enough, Deidara was sitting atop the large stone Buddha statue sitting against the wall. He was fiddling with something in his hands, but she couldn't see it from where she stood.

"Hi."

Deidara smiled at her. "You're talking now."

Sakura nodded, slowly making her way over to him. She tried to smile back, but it did not work. She felt as if those muscles were no longer functional. She once again shifted in her blanket as she sat down at the foot of the statue.

Deidara slid down it, landing on his feet in front of her. He lowered himself into a sitting position as well, still smiling. "You're lucky, Sakura-chan. Sasori is cooking tonight."

"Oh."

Deidara gave a small sigh. "Hidan and Kakuzu will be arriving tomorrow evening or the next morning. Apparently Leader wanted them to come here for something. I wonder what it is, yeah."

Sakura watched him, just listening to his voice. It was soothing and soft, a balm for her shattered soul. She closed her eyes for a moment, just listening to him talk. She had shut herself off from him and the others for what seemed like an eternity.

She needed this badly.

"Sasori seems to know, but he won't talk about it, yeah." Deidara shrugged, though he noticed that Sakura wasn't watching. Her eyes were closed, as if she were merely drinking in his words. He watched her face. It seemed to have grown even more beautiful. Unlike most people, who seemed to age greatly after a hard loss or a great shock, Sakura merely matured somewhat. Yet she still held her graceful, youthful beauty.

Deidara trailed off as he continued to watch her.

Sakura noticed the silence and she opened her eyes, seeing him look at her, his soul shining in his. A moment of indecision flooded through her. _What does he think of all of this? Does he believe…does he believe he is more to me than a dear friend? _She felt a moment of sadness as tears once again stung her eyes. _I cannot tell him. Not yet._

Suddenly she felt herself enveloped in a warm hug, and she felt his arms go around her. She closed her eyes once more, leaning against his chest. Her ear was pressed against it, and she could hear his heart beating. The sound was soothing.

"It's nice to hold you in my arms again, yeah." Deidara whispered.

_It _is_ nice._ Sakura silently agreed. _You make me feel wanted, Deidara. That's what I needed most of all right now. Thank you. You're a true friend._

"I hear that Kisame has a new nickname for you. Kitten." Deidara tested it. "It's cute. I'll have to steal it from him, yeah."

Sakura gave a small smile, the first one she had since that night. It went unnoticed though, for her face was buried in his shirt. She merely nodded slightly, breathing in his scent. "You and Kisame are the only ones who will call me that, though. I can't see Sasori or Itachi doing it."

"I guess you're right." Deidara nodded, grinning down at her. He caught a small glimpse of her smile, and his heart soared. She was slowly returning to her old self. His Sakura-chan.

"Are you hungry?"

"Hai." Sakura whispered.

"I told Sasori to make you a plate, just in case." Deidara chuckled.

Sakura heard the laugh rumbled through his chest before it burst into the air. It was a strange sensation. She couldn't help but give a small laugh of her own. "You know me so well, Deidara-kun."

"Ah, I was waiting for you to call me that, yeah."

Sakura punched him slightly in the shoulder, her smile a bit more prominent. _I need to stop moping. Deidara showed me that. I have to be strong. _

Deidara grinned down at her once more. "Maybe I can have Sasori bring us our food, yeah."

Sakura's brows furrowed. "Why can't we just go down to the kitchen?"

"Because I'd have to let go of you, yeah."

Sakura gave a small, wondering sigh. "Let's go, Deidara."

Deidara gave her a small squeeze before they both stood. _I'd forgotten how wonderful it was to just touch you, Sakura. _He slung an arm around her shoulders, leading her down the hallway. Sakura leaned her head against him, liking the protected feeling she got around him. It reminded her of the hugs she had often shared with Naruto and Neji. Simple things, but so important to her. Things she cherished.

She had thought she'd never get one of those hugs again.

_Thank you for proving me wrong, Deidara._

* * *

The room was dimly lit, and the smell of smoke and alcohol from the surrounding bars and brothels filled the air. The sound of wild parties, shouts, yells, as well as groans of pleasure, drifted on the night breeze.

A woman in a crimson kimono shifted on the large bed, her back against the wall. She propped her arms against a few pillows, giving a small, annoyed sigh. She would have been breathtakingly beautiful, save for the fact that it was almost too perfect. It had a sense of being too good to be true. Fake.

Heavily rouged lips pursed as the woman watched the man in front of her.

"What's wrong?" She asked in a sweet, thick voice. Like honey.

The man in question merely gave her a small glance, though nothing more. This annoyed the woman even more, but she said nothing. She shifted, feeling something crawling up her shoulder; she gave a small smile as she lifted her hand, feeling the small creature walk across her finger.

The brightly colored spider traveled across her hand, skimming her pale skin. She watched it with a smile, before turning back to the man.

"Tomokazu, you're moping."

"I am not."

She stiffened at his harsh tone, but she did nothing else to show she was affected. She was used to this from Tomokazu. However, she did not like his inattentiveness. It was annoying her greatly. He should have been showering her with compliments at the moment, telling her what a clever shinobi she was.

She had found out where _They_ were staying after all.

_What is holding him so enraptured? He's almost pacing._ She gave a small pout, crooking a finger and telling him to come to her silently, though once again it had no effect. "Tomokazu…" She purred. "Come to bed."

Tomokazu raised one perfect eyebrow. "I can't. Not yet."

"Why not?'

"I'm thinking." Tomokazu snapped. The anger wasn't really directed at her. He supposed he couldn't really hurt her with his words anyway. No matter how fragile she looked, she had a hide of steel. Not much could faze her.

After all, she had been Tomokazu's shinobi partner for years now. She wasn't easily surprised. Especially not by his moods.

The woman continued to watch the spider, making it walk back and forth on her hand. "You're making him nervous." She crooned to Tomokazu. "Look at him. He's going to bite."

Tomokazu gave a harsh laugh. "He won't bite you. He never does." He had come up to the side of the bed. The woman snaked her leg around his waist, pulling him towards the edge of the bed as she did so. She looked up at him, stretching her neck as she let her kimono slide off of one shoulder, giving him a good idea what lay beneath the red silk.

"If it did bite, would you suck the poison out for me, Tomokazu?" She asked sweetly, shooting him a seductive glance.

"What do you want, Naoyo?"

Naoyo sighed, unlatching her leg, though she took her time in placing it back beneath the folds of her kimono. "Nothing, Tomokazu." Apparently he wasn't in the mood for sex. A pity.

"I haven't properly thanked you for finding out where the other Akatsuki base was. It's rather amusing, but apparently Leader didn't entirely trust me. I have found there are several bases I do not know about."

"The informant was ready enough for a tumble. He spoke quite clearly, once I gave him the incentive." Naoyo gave a small laugh. "Too bad he wasn't an actual Akatsuki member. I could have murdered him as he slept."

Tomokazu gave his own laugh.

"If it had been a true Akatsuki member, Naoyo, they would not have gone to sleep."

Naoyo shrugged. "I suppose."

"I have another mission for you, Naoyo."

"Anything, dearie." She answered back sarcastically, waving a hand lazily as she motioned for him to continue. The spider gripped her fingers in panic, but she ignored it.

"I need more information about that Cloud Temple. I need to know any special hidden traps or seals placed on it. That's the only way I'll be able to get inside to get the scroll."

Naoyo sighed. "Oh very well. And just after you came back. My loss, I suppose. I've been so lonely without you." She gave another small pout.

Tomokazu snorted. "Of that, I doubt."

Naoyo smiled saucily. "You're no fun." She looked down at the spider, "He's growing restless. I'll have to let him and the other one out soon."

"This will be the perfect time to do so."

"And why is that?" Naoyo questioned, brows furrowed as she frowned. The look did not mar her pretty face.

"The only ones who will know the way inside of the temple are Akatsuki themselves."

The woman smiled, as the spider fell into the palm of her hand. She closed her hand, clenching it shut. She opened it, and all that remained on her open palm was a strangely familiar tattoo of a brightly colored spider.

* * *

Sasori looked up when Deidara and Sakura entered. He raised one eyebrow, looking at Deidara. Deidara winked over Sakura's head with a small smile. Everything was all right now.

"Good evening, Haruno-san."

Sakura gave a small smile. "Good evening Sasori-san." She sat down on the opposite side of the table with a sigh. "Well, I'm certainly hungry."

"You haven't eaten in _years_, yeah." Deidara joked, poking her in the ribs. "You're all skin and bones."

Sakura let out a small laugh as she swatted his hand away. Sasori could tell she was putting on a brave front. She was trying to pretend everything was all right, but he could see the sadness that lingered in her eyes.

_You've gotten stronger, Haruno-san. _

_Good._

"Well, that's alright then." Sakura teased, ruffling Deidara's hair in response to the jab. "I was fat, maybe I've lost some pounds."

"Sakura-chan!" Deidara gave a small gasp, looking at her through his ruffled hair, which made him look like he'd just gotten out of bed, a cute look that suited him. "You weren't fat, yeah. You've always been just right."

Sakura grinned. "Are you sure I shouldn't have been healing _your_ eyes, Deidara?"

Sasori gave a small sigh. It was good to see Sakura getting back to normal. Sasori placed a cup of hot tea in front of her, as well as a bowl of rice and some fish. She gave a murmur of thanks as she began eating.

"Now that you are here, Haruno-san, I wanted to ask you about that poison gas jutsu." Sasori broached the subject that he had wanted to discuss for a very long time.

Sakura swallowed the small bit of fish that she had been chewing and nodded. "Hai." She took a small sip of tea to wash it down. "Well, I don't know…you see…" _If I start teaching the Akatsuki special jutsus of Konoha…then I really _will_ be a traitor._

_You are one, Sakura. You're just lucky ANBU haven't come for you yet._

_Besides…its only one jutsu. And it's not that powerful or important. It's just a poison jutsu._

Sakura gave a small sigh before she smiled at the inquiring look on Sasori's face. "I would be happy to teach you the justu, Sasori-san. But…" She grinned at him. "You have to teach me a jutsu in return." _That's a fair trade, right?_

Sasori raised one eyebrow, hiding a smile. "Very well. What jutsu would you wish to learn?"

Sakura pursed her lips in thought, "Hm…"

"Ask him to teach you a puppet jutsu, yeah." Deidara cut in. "He won't teach me."

"You have never offered to teach me one of your jutsus in return." Sasori defended.

"If you had asked, I might have, yeah." Deidara answered back.

Sasori gave a small sniff. "None of your jutsus interest me, Deidara."

"Hey!"

Sakura let out a laugh. "Maa, maa." She held up her hands. "No fighting."

"We weren't fighting, yeah." Deidara pouted. He crossed his arms with a sigh, before giving another small smile as Sakura continued to laugh at him. He didn't mind, as long as he could hear her laugh.

"Well…" Sakura smiled. "I suppose a puppet jutsu would be fun to learn."

"Very well Haruno-san." Sasori nodded solemnly. "But you do understand that this must mean you believe in _my_ definition of art."

"That's not fair, yeah!" Deidara whined.

Sakura laughed as she saw the small smirk hidden behind Sasori's cool mask. "I suppose so." That got another groan out of Deidara. She shook her head in wonder, winking at him. "I'm only joking, Deidara-kun."

"Then you agree with me, yeah?"

Sakura shrugged. "I'm undecided. It's safer to be neutral."

"We will have to begin by making you a puppet." Sasori sighed. "I wouldn't trust you or Deidara to do it, so it will have to be myself who does so."

"Thanks." Deidara answered dryly.

"Something simple, Sasori-san." Sakura smiled. "If I had known you'd have to go through so much trouble, I wouldn't have asked."

"It's nothing."

"Well, alright." Sakura nodded slowly.

"The puppet will be finished by tomorrow morning." Sasori answered back, standing as if to leave. _It will be a good jutsu for your days as an Akatsuki. Hidan and Kakuzu come tomorrow. Then…then we shall see._

"Are you going to sleep, Sasori-san?" Sakura asked.

"I am going to begin your puppet, Haruno-san." Sasori amended with a small bow. "And I shall retire for the night, you are correct in that assumption."

"Good night, Sasori-san." Sakura nodded a farewell as he slipped out the door, sliding it shut behind him.

Deidara and Sakura were alone.

Sakura leaned her elbows on the table as she gave a small sigh. "It seems quiet here, don't you think?"

"It was a lot quieter when you weren't talking and laughing, yeah. This is fine with me." Deidara grinned.

"It's cold in here." Sakura shot him a glance, wondering if he would say what she thought he would say.

"It's a lot warmer now that you're in here, yeah."

Sakura laugh. "I knew you would say that, you baka." She shook her head as she resisted the urge to ruffle his hair once more. It was soft; she wanted to just sit there and play with it. She didn't suppose Deidara would mind, but she didn't want him to believe it was anything other than what it was, and she had a feeling he would indeed do so.

"Where are Kisame and Itachi?"

"Still not back, yeah." Deidara answered flatly.

_Is he jealous?_ Sakura couldn't help but giggle at that. _How cute!_ She decided to humor him. She leaned forward slightly, giving him a small view of her cleavage, which seemed to brighten his mood considerably. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _Men!_

"Well, Sakura-san, do you want me to show you your room, yeah? You haven't gone into it yet, yeah." Deidara grinned as he stood, pulling her up before she could protest.

"Deidara…" Sakura sighed. "What's wrong with the room I was sleeping in before?"

"It doesn't have a bed, or heat, or anything at all, yeah." Deidara grabbed her hand in his, leading her down another hallway. "Don't be a spoilsport, kitten."

_Great, another Kisame. _Sakura thought wryly. _Kitten is going to stick now, isn't it?_

"Oh alright." Sakura let him lead her down the hallway, to the second to last door on the left.

Deidara stopped her in front of it, not letting her inside as he grinned sheepishly.

"What is it, Deidara?" Sakura asked with a small, playful frown. "Don't leave me in suspense!"

Deidara put his hands over her eyes. "You can't look, yeah."

Sakura gave a sigh. "Ok."

She heard the door open as Deidara led her inside. The warm was comfortably heated, and she heard what sounded like little feet scampering on the ground. _Feet?_ It stopped as something jumped onto the bed, making it creak.

"Ok, you can look now, kitten, yeah."

Deidara's hands were lifted from her eyes and Sakura looked around the room with a gasp.

It looked beautiful. There was a small, oak desk with a pile of empty scrolls placed upon it, as well as a brush and ink. A hanger in one corner held an Akatsuki cloak and hat for her. A kimono was folded neatly on a small table in one corner, still in it's wrapping, as if it had just been bought. There were also a few pairs of yukatas and slacks.

There was a small window by the desk, where she could look outside and see down the mountain, though nothing was visible at the moment. The bed was made, with a deep emerald coverlet, turning back to show crisp white sheets underneath.

But none of this truly held her attention. It was the small little thing sitting on her bed, wagging its tail and looking up at her as if asking, 'will you play with me'?

It was a clay puppy.

Sakura immediately walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge as she held out her hand. The little puppy jumped into her lap, licking her face with a cold tongue. She laughed. It was strange, how lifelike he felt, although he was smooth instead of furry. How had Deidara done it?

And why?

Deidara was grinning at her, watching the dog continue to bombard her with 'puppy kisses'. "Do you like him, yeah?"

"He's adorable." Sakura laughed as she patted his head. "How did you do it? I thought your specialty was birds."

"I tried something different for you, Sakura-chan." Deidara smiled, pleased with himself. This was the _real_ Sakura laugh and smile. "He's a bit playful, yeah. And hyper."

"Playful and hyper, eh?" Sakura looked down at the little puppy. "Sounds like Naruto—that's what I'll name him!" Sakura looked down at the little puppy, which looked like it would have barked if it could have. "Naruto…" Sakura crooned, scratching behind his clay ear. She ignored the small flash of pain and guilt that assailed her, pushing it away. She let out a laugh as he snuggled into her lap.

"It fits, yeah." Deidara nodded.

"Can I keep him?" Sakura asked, watching him close his eyes, falling asleep. Apparently he had worn himself out before Sakura had come into the room. She had wondered what her sandals were doing strewn across the floor.

"Of course, yeah." Deidara answered, surprised. "I made him for you."

"Will he stay like this?" Sakura asked. "I mean…alive?" _Technically…_

"Yeah. He has chakra in him, so he should remain like this." Deidara grinned foolishly. "I hope you like it."

"I love him." Sakura whispered, feeling tears come to her eyes. _He's been so nice to me…all of them have. Maybe this was where I was supposed to be all along._

Deidara gave her a peck on the cheek, drawing back slightly. Sakura blinked. She had forgotten how wonderful it felt for him to kiss her. He continued to watch her, his face inches from hers.

Then he brought his lips down to hers.

It was a small kiss that stopped too quickly for his liking, but he didn't want to push her. Besides, it was all he needed.

Sakura was feeling and thinking much the same, except for the part of it being to short. It _had_ been just what she had needed. To feel loved again. _Thank you once more, Deidara-kun. _

"I guess you'll be wanting to go to sleep, yeah…" Deidara trailed off, his face slightly red as he took a few steps backwards after a moment of silence.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Hai, Deidara-kun. I'm kind of tired. I suppose me and Naruto will head in for the night." She continued petting the little puppy in her lap. "Goodnight, Deidara, and thank you…for everything."

"Sweet dreams, kitten." Deidara murmured before he shut the door behind him.

The sound of the door awoke Naruto, who shifted in her lap. She sat him on the bed, slipping off her yukata and heading to the foot of the bed, where a trunk sat. She opened the lid and looked inside.

It was her old things. Her pack of jewelry (minus the chopsticks from Temari), as well as her ninja pack full of kunai, shuriken, and scrolls. Her old ANBU outfit was folded neatly inside.

And lying atop that was Sasuke's shirt.

Her eyes narrowed as a sudden anger filled her and she picked it up, wanting to rip it in half. He deserved it. After all she had done for him, after loving him forever! She didn't want anything that reminded her of him. But a picture fell out at that moment, stopping her from doing so.

The picture of Sasuke and his family.

Sakura slowly picked it up. She wanted to tear _it_ into pieces as well, but she stopped from doing so. She merely folded the creased side of the photo back up like she had before.

Except this time, the only face she could now see was Itachi's.

She didn't smile as she folded the shirt neatly, the Uchiha Clan sign glaring at her, mocking her. But neither did she rip it. She just continued to stare at the photo, as well as the shirt.

Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. She had always dreamed of being with Sasuke…but now, she wondered if perhaps it was another Uchiha she was destined to help and care for. To heal his eyes…

It brought a small amount of closure, which she had desperately needed.

She placed the shirt at the bottom of her trunk where she wouldn't see it again.

She took off her yukata and slacks and slipped into the bed in her underwear and bra. She placed the picture on the side table as she grabbed Naruto to her, huddling with him under the blankets.

_It's almost like you're the real Naruto…_She thought wryly. _So fun and full of laughter and so hyper!_ She gave a small laugh at the last part. _I wonder what he would think if he saw you._

He snuggled against her as he slept.

She gave a small sigh. _I need to stop acting childish. I won't stoop to Sasuke's level. I may be angry with him…but I can't hate him. It's impossible…_ She gave another sigh as she turned off the bedside lamp, sending her and Naruto into darkness.

Her last thought before she drifted to sleep was a simple one.

_I don't _want_ to hate him._

* * *

The memorial service for Sakura was beautiful.

The Hokage-sama herself was there, dressed in black as she stood in front of the memorial stone, in which Sakura's name had been carved. She thought Sakura deserved it. But a part of her didn't think so.

She had been briefed on Sakura's betrayal of the village and how she had left for the Akatsuki. Her eyes hardened. _How could you do this to me, Sakura-chan? You're making all of this so difficult._

As the Hokage, it was her duty to keep any of her village's secrets out of enemy hands. That meant sending ANBU after Sakura. As Sakura's mentor, she could only hope and pray that Sakura was all right.

The others had begged Tsunade not to do anything drastic. They had sworn that if she sent ANBU after Sakura, they'd stop them. Or at least, almost everyone did. Tsunade had been heartened by everyone's continued loyalty to Sakura, though she wondered if it was misplaced. She had left all of them, hadn't she? Yet they all still loved her.

One person had thought a bit differently.

And that one person was the only one who hadn't shown up for the service.

Tsunade supposed she was glad that Sasuke Uchiha hadn't come. She would have yelled at him, probably punched him. He had endangered Sakura's life. He had tried to kill her! And that was before she had gone with the Akatsuki. He was a danger to everyone around him. It was his fault Sakura was gone in the first place.

Now that the mission to save Sakura was over, Tsunade was trying to decide what to do with him. She didn't want him as a shinobi. He was a mental case at the moment, ready to attack anyone. He had become even more reclusive, barely coming out of the Uchiha compound. He wouldn't talk to anyone.

But he wasn't the one she was worried about. She was worried about Naruto.

He seemed dead to her. Like Sakura had been when he had left. It was as if he walked around in a daze or a dream. She hadn't sent him on a mission because she believed he needed some time to think. Time to cope.

He missed Sakura terribly. He had become cranky, snapping at people like the real Naruto never would have. He had to be watched so he wouldn't go near the Uchiha compound. When they had returned, he had tried to attack Sasuke, yelling at him about attacking Sakura before having an emotional breakdown in the middle of the street.

Everyone had seen it.

When they had heard Sasuke had attacked their favorite, pink-haired kunoichi…well, it was a good thing Sasuke was so reclusive.

Sakura's parents hated him. They had cursed him when they had heard from Naruto about his attacking Sakura. Naruto had believed they needed to know the truth about that much, at least.

Naruto had felt as if it was all Sasuke's fault, and he had wanted him to pay for it.

Tsunade didn't believe there would ever be team seven again.

It was a surprisingly cheerful, sunny day. There was no cloud coverage, no rain, and no fog in the morning.

Cool, soothing, and happy. The type of day Sakura had always lived for.

It hurt Tsunade to lie to everyone else about Sakura's death, but she knew it could not be helped. Everyone in the village had loved Sakura. She never wanted that to change. She missed her. She wondered sometimes if she could just send out ANBU to track her down and find her, so that Tsunade could go and bring her back herself.

The thought had crossed her mind more than once.

The birds chirped happily, thought it was drowned out by Sakura's mother's sobs, as well as collective sniffles from the other village people present.

They were all dressed in black, like they normally would have been for a death. Tsunade stood at the front, with Kakashi, Shizune, and a few other Jônin who had known Sakura. Kakashi's face was masked, physically as well as emotionally. His eye was darker now, sadder and wiser. It was as if he had aged ten years.

Gai had laughingly brought up the subject of teaching another group of students, to brighten the mood. Kakashi had given a small laugh, saying, "I think my teaching days are over."

Tsunade had seen through it. Kakashi blamed himself for his students and the way they had turned out. Tsunade gave a small smile. To think, out of all three of them, it was Naruto who was making the most progress, the only one to stay true to his path.

The little demon-boy that everyone thought would be the downfall and destruction of their village, was the only one left. The only one who hadn't given into temptation and left the village to become a missing-nin.

Hinata was standing beside Naruto. She held his hand comfortingly, her gaze sad as she willed herself not to cry. _Why did you go, Sakura? Naruto misses you so much!_

Shino, Choji, Tenten, and Lee all still looked dazed and confused, as if they couldn't quite believe what they had been told. Sakura was gone. She was dead. That couldn't be possible. That sort of thing should never happen. The good guy always won!

Shikamaru stood with Temari, his arm around her waist. When they had gone to Sand to tell the others, Temari had wanted to come to the service. He had told her the truth about what had really happened.

Temari, strangely enough, had said that she was happy that Sakura had found her place. Shikamaru supposed he agreed, though he was angry with Sakura for putting them all through this. He couldn't stay angry for long, however.

Kiba and Akamaru stood beside Ino, who was holding the hand of a little boy, who was adamantly sucking his thumb.

It was a habit Atsuko had come across after he had first heard Sakura had died. Now anytime someone mentioned her name, he would suck on his thumb.

He had been adopted by Ino who had petitioned with Tsunade to let him become a Konoha civilian. Tsunade had been too shocked and weary to say no.

Ino gripped his hand for comfort. She didn't agree with what Sakura had done. She hated her for it but…she supposed she understood. Sakura had loved Sasuke desperately. Perhaps she had just wanted to get away from him, to get away from it all.

If Sakura ever came back, Ino would be the first to welcome her.

Neji stared at the memorial stone, his gaze hard. _How could you have left me, Sakura? How could you have done that to me?_ He was also being watched by other shinobi, to make sure he didn't go after Sasuke. Everyone had learned of his feelings towards Sakura, and knew that he would go after Sasuke the first moment he got.

Shikamaru decided that the only reason Neji hadn't attacked Sasuke the moment Sakura had left was because he had been in too much of a shock. Shikamaru believed that was the reason why none of them had done anything to stop her.

They'd all just stood there, completely stumped and stupefied.

Sato and Aarriko were in their full ANBU attire, faces masked. They were being sent on a mission right after the ceremony. Both of them had requested it.

They needed to get their minds off of Sakura's death.

Sai was merely standing there, completely emotionless. He had never been one to show how he felt, although it did indeed look like he was sad, as unusual as that was for him. He was also in his shinobi attire. He was, after all, Sato, Aarriko, Kiba, and Hinata's new ANBU captain. Sakura's replacement.

Tsunade turned to see Jiraiya walk up to her. The ceremony had ended, and everyone was slowly dispersing, except for the rookie nine and Gai's team, who continued to stand around, watching each other though no one wanted to speak.

"Well?" Jiraiya asked.

"You didn't come to the ceremony." Tsunade bit out, her voice clogged. It really did feel like Sakura was dead. Maybe not really, but emotionally and mentally, Tsunade was distancing herself from her once apprentice. She needed to realize that she was dead to their village now. A traitor.

Jiraiya shrugged as he continued, "Tsunade…what is your decision?"

"I can't do it…" Tsunade whispered. "I can't send them to do that."

"If we don't kill her, she will be a threat to Konoha." Jiraiya sighed.

"I can't do that to _him_." Tsunade choked out as she turned to where Naruto was still staring into space, his gaze pained and dark.

"Tsunade…"

Tsunade blinked, forcing her tears away as she clenched her fists. She grimaced, before her lips tightened and she nodded.

"Very well. I must act like the Hokage now. I want a team of ANBU to be sent to find Sakura Haruno." She whispered it to him, so no one else would hear.

"But not to kill her. Just to find her and try and take her back."

Jiraiya sighed, but he seemed satisfied with the answer. "Very well. Who are we sending?"

"Not them." Tsunade pointed at the shinobi crowded around the stone. "I won't do that to them."

"Then who?'

"I'll think of someone." _I need to think of _something_, at the very least._

**(A/N: Yay! The first chapter of Crimson Reflections, how did everyone like it? Yeah, Tomokazu has a wonderful little girlfriend (she's a hoe, though I think we've all gotten that already). Creepy spider thing going on…hehehehe.**

**Don't worry, Itachi is going to be in the next chapter. I love the little puppy, he's so cute! Maybe some more ACTUAL Naruto in the next chapter, not the puppy.**

**More Itachi though. Because lets face it, he's the reason everyone reads this. **

**Not that I blame anyone. He's hot.**

**OK, so anyways…I don't know how long it will be until the next chapter. My new semester classes are horrible. Yay AP. Still not finished…grrrrr…and now its even HARDER. But I am still finding time to write. Like the weekends. **

**I hope everyone liked the first chapter. (and the crazy prologue. Whoops, sorry Orochimaru!) Yeah, the seven, four, three thing is about as complicated as my math should ever have to be. But unfortunately, no math is that simple.**

**Until next time!**

**Lady Hanaka**

**I hope you all liked it. It's hard to live up to the expectations of A Ripple in the Pond.**

**Quote: A smart man covers his ass; a wise man leaves his pants on.)**


	3. Chapter 2: Initiation

**Chapter 2**

**Initiation**

Sakura yawned and stretched as she awoke. She felt a cool breeze blow in from the open window as she opened her eyes to greet the new day.

It was the first sunrise she hadn't dreaded in a long time. She slipped out of the bed as Naruto bounced in excitement, running underneath the blankets. He looked like a strange little lump that was running around in circles on the bed beneath the green coverlet.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh as she watched him, before she lifted the blanket and he zoomed out of it, panting silently as he cocked his head to one side, watching her as if to say, 'it's time to get up! I'm so adorable, you HAVE to play with me!'

Sakura stifled another laugh as she tickled his nose and he nibbled on her finger playfully, like a normal puppy would. She petted his head as he let go and she walked towards the window, looking outside.

She could see down the mountain now, to the quaint little village nestled in the valley beneath them. She leaned her cheek on her hand as she gazed down at the people bustling around in the village, all looking like busy little ants.

"They certainly all have something to do, don't they Naruto?" Sakura asked the little puppy who was adamantly scratching his ear. Hearing his name as a summons, he jumped off of the bed, running around her legs in a tight circle.

"You're going to get dizzy." Sakura reprimanded with a smile as she bent down to tickle him underneath his chin. His tail thumped loudly against the wooden floor. Sakura sighed as she stood once again, looking around the room.

"What should I wear?" She spotted a gray yukata with pale-pink sakura blossoms on it, with a black, white, and gray obi and black slacks. She thought it was beautiful, and decided it must have been from Deidara. Who else would have gotten her all these new things?

_He's such a sweetie!_ Sakura smiled as she headed towards the table. She took one step and felt herself lose her balance as she tripped over Naruto. She let out a small yelp as she landed on the ground with a crash, almost landing on the puppy that smartly ran in the other direction.

He zoomed back to where she lie, licking her face as she made to get up. She had heard a 'thunk' when she had landed, a sound that had nothing to do with her fall. She immediately tensed as she looked up, seeing a kunai embedded in the wall opposite her. If she hadn't fallen onto the ground, the kunai would have gone straight through her chest.

Sakura flipped around, jumping up and into a fighting stance. _It must be the ANBU from Konoha. _

She felt a moment of fright fill her as she thought of whom it could have been sent after her.

_Let's do this._ She tried to sound confident as she looked around, scanning the area with her eyes.

* * *

Hidan and Kakuzu walked up the trail leading to the Akatsuki hideout in Cloud. Both were not morning people, and their grumpiness was almost reaching its peak as they trudged along, faces murderous.

"We're finally here." Hidan muttered. "Took long enough."

"Shut up." Kakuzu grunted back at him.

Hidan's hand clenched on his weapon as he made to attack. He would have done so, if he hadn't noticed the movement in the window ahead. He stopped short, eyes narrowing. "Look there."

Kakuzu gave a small sigh as he looked up, before he too stilled in confusion.

A scantily clad woman was standing near the window, her back to them. All they could see was white skin, a supple body, and bright pink hair.

"What the hell?" Kakuzu growled out.

Hidan grabbed a kunai. "How did she get in? She must be an enemy shinobi."

"Let me kill her, then." Kakuzu grinned. Before he could do anything, however, Hidan threw the kunai. Just then the woman seemed to duck from their view and they heard a crash.

"Well?" Kakuzu's brows furrowed. "What happened?" He and Hidan ran into the room through the window, seeing the near naked woman in a fighting pose, glaring at them with bright green eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here, bitch?" Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. He assessed the situation quickly. This young woman didn't look like she was very powerful, but he had to believe that she actually had _some_ type of ability. If she didn't, she wouldn't have been able to get inside of the base, where Deidara and Sasori would have caught her.

Of course, perhaps she had killed both of them already. She looked like the type to be able to seduce a man. No doubt that was what she had done to Deidara. Sasori, however, she would have had to defeat in battle not in bed.

She showed no signs of injury, which she would _have_ to have had after a battle with an Akatsuki member. No one could escape from such a thing unscathed. Her eyes were hard and disciplined, like a shinobi.

Her stance was strange to him, perhaps a fighting style he didn't know, which was surprising.

From this he could surmise she was a kunoichi, not some simple whore that Deidara had hired. Also, she was dangerous, if she had snuck into the base.

However, she was unarmed and almost completely unclothed as well.

Hidan had not waited for Kakuzu to tell him this, however. He merely rushed inside, his weapon at the ready. Kakuzu almost gave a loud sigh of impatience. He was like a child sometimes.

The pink-haired woman dodged his strike, bending backwards and grabbing the weapon between the blades, locking it in place with surprising strength so that Hidan could no longer swing it.

Then the _real_ kunoichi appeared behind him, sending her elbow into his back as the clone holding the weapon disappeared. Hidan let out a loud grunt of pain as he felt his spine snap. Of course, with his almost complete inability to die; he merely stood up, rubbing his back as he snarled.

This caught the woman by surprise, who stared at him in astonishment. Kakuzu merely squatted down on the ground, placing his arms up to his elbows in the floor. As he did so, his hand erupted from the ground beneath the kunoichi, grabbing her ankles and holding her in place.

She struggled, almost falling over as she became unbalanced. Hidan grabbed his weapon, bringing it up to strike.

"Stop it, yeah!" Deidara yelled out as he rushed inside, Sasori right behind him. "Are you out of your minds?"

Kakuzu looked from the scantily clad kunoichi whom Deidara was walking towards, back to Sasori, who merely raised one eyebrow. Suddenly it became very clear as Kakuzu got another look at the kunoichi and realization dawned.

"She's the one then?"

"Hai." Sasori nodded. He looked up at the ceiling, "It's alright now, Haruno-san."

A figure dropped down from the ceiling as the clone being held by Kakuzu disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kakuzu blinked as he stood, his arms reattaching themselves. So…she was a tricky one after all.

"Sakura-chan!" Deidara walked over to her, before blushing as he looked her over in her somewhat…revealing state. "You…um…yeah."

Sakura gave a loud sigh, before crossing her arms over her chest. "What's going on here?"

"I was just going to ask you that same question, woman." Hidan snapped back.

"Don't talk to Sakura-chan like that, yeah." Deidara warned.

"_Sakura_-_chan_?" Kakuzu repeated. "That's her name?"

"Hai." Sasori nodded. "Sakura Haruno." He turned to Sakura. "Haruno-san, please meet Kakuzu and Hidan, two other members of the Akatsuki."

Sakura nodded, though her eyes still flashed angrily. "Hello." She continued to stand in the middle of their group, clad in only her underwear and bra.

Hidan gave a loud laugh. "I should have known she wasn't one of you or Itachi's whores, Deidara. She looks unused."

Sakura stiffened, eyes narrowing. _Itachi had whores? That…that…_she wasn't even that angry about practically being called a little girl by two of the Akatsuki. It didn't really bother her. However, what did bother her was the fact that Itachi had women. Technically, she had known this, after all he wasn't hard to fall for, but it had never really seemed tangible till then.

An evil thought came to mind as she turned to see Deidara staring at her, blushing deeply. _So he had whores too, huh? Well, well, well…_

Deidara began stuttering. "I did not, yeah. I don't know what they're talking about, Sakura-chan…"

Sakura pouted. "Deidara-kun, how could you?"

Deidara swallowed. "I mean, it wasn't anything like that, Sakura-chan…yeah…" _Oh god she's going to hate me now! Dammit Hidan!_

Sakura gave a laugh; not being able to keep a straight face as she saw the distress Deidara was putting himself in. "Oh don't worry, Deidara. What you do with your women is of no importance or significance to me." She winked at him as he began to stutter out another excuse.

Sasori sighed. "She's joking, Deidara." _My god he's almost as dense as Kisame when it comes to women. This is a wonderful little start to the day. At least Sakura showed that she can handle other Akatsuki. Making a good first impression is everything here. After all, Hidan and Kakuzu will tell Leader what they've seen, and that will help determine Sakura's place here._

_It means everything at this point in time._

"Well, can you explain why you attacked me?" Sakura asked Hidan and Kakuzu.

"You were a strange shinobi in our territory, woman. That gives us every right we need to kill you." Hidan snapped out.

Sakura's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing, seeing that it was wise not to talk right now. The last thing she needed to do was get into a fight with these two. Getting them on her good side would be the best thing.

"Very well." Sakura continued. "If it had been me in that situation, I suppose I would have done the same thing." _Lay it on them, Sakura._ She spoke to herself as they snorted, looking like they really didn't care.

"Of course." She spoke offhandedly. "I would have used exploding tags to get the intruding shinobi out of the room first, then used the confusion of the smoke to go in for the killing strike, in case the intruding shinobi knew that you were there and was luring you into an ambush."

Hidan's eyes narrowed, though he couldn't help but respect her gumption and courage. Kakuzu watched her much the same way.

_What an interesting little woman. _

"Sakura Haruno is an excellent medical shinobi. She is currently healing Itachi's eyes." Deidara put in, hoping they'd be impressed. "She was apprenticed under the Gondaime Hokage Tsunade herself, one of the three legendary Sannin, yeah."

Kakuzu raised an eyebrow.

"Fascinating."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, he's correct. And I'm also a _freezing_ medical shinobi, so if you all wouldn't mind, I'd love to continue this conversation after I get dressed." She motioned to her almost bare body.

Sasori nodded. "Of course, Haruno-san. We shall leave." He motioned for the others to follow him outside of the room. "We will meet you in the tea room."

"Of course." Sakura nodded. "Thank you, Sasori-san."

Sakura watched them leave and resisted the urge to stick out her tongue. She gave another small sigh as she slipped on the slacks and yukata, wrapping the obi around her stomach.

Naruto came out from under the bed, his tail wagging in excitement. Sakura had wondered where he had gone. _The little coward. _She couldn't help but grin at that. She couldn't blame him, after all.

…

…

…

Sakura gave a small sigh as she tightened the obi.

…

…

…

"His _whores_!?!?!"

It didn't seem like she'd ever get over that.

* * *

Tsunade looked at Kakashi, who was sitting in the chair in front of her desk. Jiraiya sat on his right, Naruto on his left. Kakashi and Naruto seemed unfazed at being there. Neither of them seemed to even be paying her any attention.

Tsunade gave a deep breath. "I'm sending ANBU to find Sakura."

She waited for the bomb to drop.

"WHAT!?!?!" Naruto bolted out of his seat. "I won't let you, Tsunade-baa-chan!" He clenched his fists angrily. "I won't let anyone hurt Sakura-chan! I'm going to get her back, I won't lose faith in her! I'll hurt anyone who goes after her!"

Tsunade frowned, but continued to let him rant.

"If you send ANBU then…then you're as dumb and stupid as you are ugly!"

"Naruto…" Kakashi warned.

Tsunade's lip twitched.

Jiraiya had to hide his smile.

"I'll kill them all, all those stupid ANBU if they try and hurt Sakura-chan! I'm going to bring her back myself; I won't let you get in the way. I didn't think you could be so heartless Tsunade!"

"Naruto!" Shizune, who had been sent to go get tea, exclaimed in surprise as she entered the room. "Calm down! I can hear you all the way outside."

"NO!" Naruto growled. "I won't! Not until Tsunade promises not to send ANBU!"

"I can't do that, Naruto." Tsunade answered calmly, lacing her fingers together and leaning her chin on them, waiting.

"Then I'll leave the village too! I'll become a missing-nin and I'll—I'll—I'll—"

_He's dug his hole deep enough._ Tsunade decided. "Naruto, I'm not sending the ANBU to kill Sakura."

"I'll leave the village and let my demon out and let it destroy everything and—" Naruto blinked as the words seeped in. "…what?"

"I am sending a group of ANBU to get Sakura-chan and bring her back here, away from the Akatsuki. I understand she must have gone because she didn't believe she could stand it here in Konoha with Sasuke Uchiha." She saw Naruto clenched his hands at the name of his former best friend.

"And I want you to be second in command of the group."

…

…

…

Naruto blinked once more.

…

…

…

"WHAT!?!?!?!" This came collectively from Jiraiya, Naruto—and the rest of the rookie nine as well as Tenten, Lee, and Temari.

Tsunade glared as they fell inside of the room, landing in a heap on the floor, looking up at everyone sheepishly.

"Tsunade-dono!" Tenten, Lee, Shino, and Choji all exclaimed. "I thought you said Sakura-san was dead!"

Tsunade gave a loud, aggravated sigh. "All of you…"  
"…ARE IN BIG TROUBLE!!!!!!"

Everyone flinched, but that didn't deter them as they entered the room, closing the door behind them.

Lee sniffed. "Tsunade-dono…is it true that Sakura-san is still alive?"

Tsunade sighed deeply. _This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?_ "Yes…"

Lee, Tenten, and Choji cheered, while Shino nodded with a small smile hidden behind his jacket collar.

"We wanna come too!" This was everyone.

Tsunade stood to her full height, towering over them. "Now listen here." She pointed at each one of them in turn. "I am only sending three people besides Naruto."

"WHAT!?!?!?!"  
Tsunade gave another loud sigh. _I'm getting a headache and I haven't even had a drink in three days._

"Shikamaru, Temari, and Ino."

Everyone blinked, not understanding the team. Everyone knew that Temari and Shikamaru were right but…Ino? Even _she_ looked a bit confused at it.

"But Tsunade-dono…if only three people are going, wouldn't it be smarter to send Lee or…or Kakashi?"  
"No." Tsunade shook her head. _I know you can't possibly understand my decision, but I think Shikamaru understands. I know that Sakura will not want to come back on her own. I need the four people who she is closest with. Shikamaru can reason with her on a philosophical level, Naruto is like a brother to her, Temari is like a role model to her, and Ino is her best friend. If anyone can do it, it's those four._

_Besides, if push comes to shove, Ino will have to use her mind transfer jutsu on Sakura to bring her back._

"Kakashi or Lee can have _my_ spot." Shikamaru groaned out. "Man, this is such a drag. Why can't Temari and I have our honeymoon in peace?" He and Temari had gotten married a few days before Sakura's memorial service, and had kept from going on their honeymoon until it was over.

Temari slung an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry, honey. We can continue last night on the way." She winked at everyone as they stifled laughs and Shikamaru turned bright red as he coughed slightly.

"You leave immediately. You should go and pack." Tsunade ordered as she handed them a map. "Judging from their movements and the direction they went that Kakashi could sense, they are going east, most likely to Cloud."

"The rest of you, stay here for a moment." They all nodded as Temari, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Ino all left the room, their excitement and anticipation almost visible.

Tsunade waited until their chakra levels were gone and they were out of earshot. Her face became serious as she looked back at the people still assembled in front of her. "I have a mission for the rest of you."

"And that is?" Lee asked, still frowning. He had wanted to go find Sakura.

"Sasuke Uchiha has left the village in pursuit of Sakura and Itachi Uchiha."

Everyone turned to look at her, eyes wide.

"Bring him back alive as well." _I'm just in a forgiving mood aren't I?_

"What if he accidentally falls onto my kunai?" Kiba questioned.

"Kiba…" Tsunade warned.

"Alright, alright." Kiba put up his hands in defense. "Who is the leader of our team?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Tsunade smiled. Suddenly the door opened and someone walked inside.

"I heard you sent Shikamaru off to find Sakura. Why are you sending me to go get Sasuke? I'll just end up killing him."

It was Neji.

* * *

Sakura walked into the tearoom, Naruto trailing behind her. Dodging him underfoot and keeping from stepping on him was the most difficult ninja training she could ever hope to have.

"Sakura-chan, come sit over here, yeah." Deidara nodded at the seat next to him. Sakura smiled at him and sat where he had pointed. She gave a small sigh as Naruto jumped into her lap, tail wagging playfully.

"A kunoichi with a puppy." Hidan snorted. "That's who we're bringing into Akatsuki?"

…

…

…

Sakura blinked.

…

…

…

Deidara blinked.

…

…

…

"Excuse me?" They both said at the same time.

Sasori watched them coolly. "I am sorry for keeping you out of the loop." He watched Sakura's and Deidara's still completely shocked faces. "I sent word to Leader about Sakura's skills and feats, and recommended her a position. With Tomokazu no longer a member, it only seems fitting for us to receive a new member now."

"But…Sakura, yeah?" Deidara croaked out. He looked at Sakura, who seemed to be in a daze. _Sakura being an Akatsuki?_

_It's what you always wanted._

_But…she'd be a killer, yeah. She'd be the one thing I would never want Sakura to be._

…_she'd lose her innocence._

Sakura stared down at her hands.

_Be an Akatsuki member?_

_Betray Konoha completely?_

_Become an s-classed criminal? One of the elite?_ She blinked once more, trying to see if she were really in a room with Deidara, Sasori, Kakuzu, and Hidan. Hidan and Kakuzu remained completely void of all emotion, except for a slight annoyance and impatience.

Sasori was hiding a small smile.

Deidara cleared his throat. "I think they want you to decide, Sakura-chan."

Sakura breathed in deeply. So many thoughts were running through her mind. A few weeks earlier she had been sitting at her home in Konoha wondering what plants to put in her new apartment. Now she was being asked to join the most infamous shinobi organization in the world.

…It was what any missing-nin would want.

Sakura lifted her hand to her head, inconspicuously brushing a few locks of her rose colored hair out of her eyes. As she did so, her fingertips brushed her forehead. Her eyes widened slightly.

Her forehead protector.

She wasn't wearing one. She hadn't been doing so since leaving her own headband on the snowman in River.

She hadn't really noticed it until now.

Was her village really that unimportant to her that she could forget about her headband so quickly? Had it never really meant anything to her?

_I really AM a missing-nin. I don't even have a headband anymore. _She hid a rueful smile. _I guess I'll never have to put a slash through it, will I?_

"Haruno-san?"

Sakura blinked, coming back to reality. She shifted, feeling Naruto curl up in her lap. She looked down at him.

"…does Itachi know?"

Sasori's eyes narrowed slightly, wondering why it mattered. "Hai. He and Kisame were both briefed by Leader about this."

"I see." Sakura whispered. _Was that the reason for his silence?_ She bit her lip, thinking. She could feel four pairs of eyes watching her, waiting for her answer.

"Do I have to answer right now?"

Hidan frowned. "Of course you have to. Get on with it, woman."

Kakuzu snorted. "Don't mind him. He's an idiot."

"And you're a motherless bastard."

Kakuzu and Hidan began glaring daggers at one another.

Sasori turned back to Sakura. "You need not answer now. You may have a few days to decide."

Sakura stood, nodded. "Alright." She answered softly, "Sasori-san, did you want to see that poison gas jutsu?" _Just keep your mind clear. Don't think about it. _

"Of course." Sasori nodded. "I made your puppet for you last night, Haruno-san." He stood as well, nodding to Hidan and Kakuzu, as well as a still dazed Deidara. "I shall go with Haruno-san now. We will talk again in the evening."

Sasori heard Deidara speaking with Hidan and Kakuzu as they left.

"Do you really think that kunoichi can become Akatsuki?" Hidan was asking.

"I do, yeah." Deidara answered truthfully, though his heart wasn't in it. "I think Sakura-chan can become very powerful, if she trains hard enough."

If Sakura heard it, she didn't show Sasori that she noticed as they walked down the hallway.

She merely held onto Naruto, who had jumped into her arms as she had stood. She had a feeling she had already made her decision.

She only wondered if she wasn't going to make the biggest mistake of her life.

* * *

Later that night, Sakura sat in her room, playing with the small puppet Sasori had made for her. She was toying with it, finding the small mechanisms that Sasori had placed inside of it. It was a small, foot tall puppet, shaped like a geisha.

She couldn't help but smile as she looked it over. Sasori must have painted it himself.

Naruto sniffed it, licking the wood. Sakura scratched him absently behind the ear as she continued to look the little puppet over. Sasori had taught her how to control it to some extent. Of course, her attempts were sloppy and half-hearted. Part of this was due to her inefficiency in this new jutsu, the other half was due to nerves. She was nervous about having to decide.

She'd taught Sasori the jutsu, and he was already learning to master it. She wondered if she'd ever be able to do that.

Sakura placed the puppet lovingly on the table next to her bed, picking up the only other object on the desk.

The scroll.

She'd almost forgotten about it, though she didn't see how. She felt Naruto shift on the bed beside her as she opened the scroll once more. She hadn't looked at it since that night, but she didn't think she'd ever forget it.

An Akatsuki member would use this jutsu.

…she smiled slightly as she scratched Naruto's head. _One already—_

The door slid open with a confidence and finality that Sakura had learned to expect from one person and one person only.

Itachi.

She'd felt his presence right outside her door the moment it opened. She looked up at him, momentarily breathless.

His arm was bleeding.

"You're hurt." Sakura whispered, trying to forget about the small butterflies rising in her stomach. She hadn't been alone with him since…since the last time.

With all the other Akatsuki members at the temple, would he try anything?

_I hope so._

Sakura was shocked by her own thoughts as she tried to ignore the small blush that was creeping over her cheeks. "I'll heal it for you."

Itachi slowly walked over to the bed. Naruto sniffed the hem of his Akatsuki cloak as it brushed against him, and then he jumped up, running to the other side of Sakura for safety.

He rolled up his sleeve, showing her the wound.

He still had yet to speak.

Sakura looked it over efficiently, noticing that it was a rather clean cut. And he had cleaned it out, so there was no sign of infection. She pressed a small amount of her chakra into it.

"Did you hear about the meeting today?" Sakura asked lightly, trying to break the dismal mood surrounding them. For some reason, she was able to speak around Itachi, even if he never answered her back.

"Hn."

"They asked me to join Akatsuki." Sakura continued, knitting the skin back together with her chakra. "I was wondering if you had been told about it."

"Hn."

"What does Kisame think about it?"

"He's excited."

Sakura smiled. "He wants me to become an Akatsuki member?"

Itachi turned to look at her, raising one eyebrow. _He wants his little 'kitten' to be in Akatsuki._ Of course, he didn't say this. "Hai."

Sakura nodded slowly, as she finished healing the wound.

…

…

…

"well…" Sakura whispered slowly, trying to get up the courage to hear his answer, willing herself to continue.

"…what about you?"

"Hn?"

"Do you want me to become an Akatsuki member?"

Itachi turned to look at her, seeing Sakura staring at him with a strange sincerity, as well as anxiousness and desperation.

…

…

…

Itachi heard the bed creak as the little clay puppy he had seen before moved to peek at him from behind Sakura.

…

…

…

"No."

Sakura let his words sink in, nodding slowly. She couldn't ignore how much they hurt, though she had known they were coming. "I see."

Itachi pulled his sleeve back down over his arm.

"Why?"

Itachi's brows almost furrowed as he turned to her. Did he really have to spell it out?

"You're weak."

Sakura sighed, biting her lip as hurt tears filled her eyes, though she blinked them away as she smiled up at him, keeping them at bay. "I guess you're right."

Itachi stood. "You'll finish healing my eyes tomorrow night."

Then he was gone.

Just like that.

Sakura waited for a moment in silence, the click of the door as it shut reverberating through the silence.

She sniffed, furiously wiping the tears from her eyes. "Stupid Sakura, what did you expect from him? Encouragement?"

_Yes._

She let out a small laugh, while Naruto nudged her with his nose. She barely paid him any attention. "He's always thought of you as weak. He only wants you to heal his eyes, isn't that clear now?"

_Healing your eyes, that's all I'm good for._

"Stop crying." She ordered, berating herself as she sniffled once again. "Don't get mad at Itachi for telling you what you already knew."

_It hasn't changed your decision._

_It just helped make it clearer._

Sakura's shoulders continued to shake, however.

"If I'll never be Akatsuki, then what good am I here?" Sakura whispered to the night. "If I can't be strong, then what's the point?"

"I already knew I'm weak. I could have been weak in Konoha. I didn't need to come here to see it."

Sakura let the tears flow down her cheeks now.

"What am I _doing_ here?"

_I abandoned everyone for this. _

_I forfeited Sasuke's love for this._

_I forfeited Sasuke's love…for _him

Sakura gave a small, dry laugh. "But it doesn't matter, Sakura. You're too weak. You mean nothing."

_At least to Sasuke, I still mean something._

_He wants to kill me now._

_At least he still wants me for something._

_I thought that Itachi needing me to heal his eyes was enough._

_I was wrong._

_…he didn't even look at me._

_…I wish…_

_…that he would have kissed me._

_…maybe this time…I would have given in completely._

_…to be shown what love really is._

_…that's all I want now…_

_…we always want the one thing we'll never have._

* * *

Itachi walked down the hallway. He had just come from a meeting with the other Akatsuki. They were all talking about Sakura being a new Akatsuki member.

The only one who seemed opposed to it was Itachi. Even Hidan and Kakuzu seemed to think she was good enough for the job.

_She doesn't have any significant jutsus except for the Genesis of Rebirth._

Itachi turned the corner.

_She's slow. Her Taijutsu is weak at best._

The house was silent. Everyone except for Kisame was asleep. Kisame was dead drunk in the kitchen, which meant he was as good as asleep.

_She's horrible at sensing chakra levels._

Itachi didn't even know where he was headed. He merely went.

_She's too emotional. She let's everything get to her._

He rounded another corner.

_Dammit. She's weak._

Itachi stopped in front of a doorway, not even realizing which one it was as his hand went to the doorknob.

_…why do I care?_

He turned the handle.

_…because if she's weak…she'll die._

He walked inside, Sharingan blazing.

_And she hasn't finished healing my eyes yet._

"Itachi?"

Itachi looked up, the surprise almost visible on his face as he suddenly realized what room he was in.

**(A/N: Hm. Hm. Hmmmm…how did you all like it? I think we all know which room Itachi just walked into. Hehehe, he was reaching out to her without even knowing it. How cute! And of course, he only doesn't want her to die because she was to _fix his eyes_. Hah! (we all know your secret Itachi!)**

**Well, I have a snow day, and I'll probably have one tomorrow so YAY! Extra time to write. (Since I live out in the middle of nowhere and can't drive anywhere in the snow and ice). **

**Alright, what to expect in the next chapter…hmmm…well, a talk between Sakura and Itachi, that's a given. We're going to lose someone special to our hearts, someone very close to us! (sob) and Sakura has to decide whether or not to become Akatsuki. I think that's a good basis for the next chapter.**

**My sister seems to think she'll like this story better than A Ripple in the Pond, mostly because it'll be a little more mature (because it deals more with the Akatsuki then with like Kiba and them, who are still sort of immature) I guess that's true. I hope all of YOU love this story as much as she does.**

**Until next time, buh-bye!**

**Lady Hanaka**

**Quote:** **Intelligence is like underwear, everyone should have it, but we shouldn't show it off.)**


	4. Chapter 3: Back to Square One

**Chapter 3**

**Back to Square One**

Itachi stared at the woman sitting on the bed in front of him. She was mostly unclothed, wearing only a thin sleeping robe. It seemed as if she had just begun changing into it, because it wasn't tied yet, and the front was peeking open slightly, and it threatened to hang off of one shoulder.

"Sakura." He nodded back at her, pretending indifference.

"What are you doing?" He could see the tears still glistening in her eyes.

There are two kinds of women: the kind who look good when they cry, the other kind that don't. The ones that don't, well they have red splotches on their face, their eyes puff up, and their noses become stuffy or run.

Yet some women look breathtaking when they cry. Their tears glisten in the light, their faces take on such a sad expression it's almost physically painful, and their beauty seems to be magnified.

Sakura was one of the latter.

Something in the pit of his stomach stirred at the sight. It had been a long time since he had allowed himself to be in this close of a vicinity with a woman.

Especially a half clad woman.

In fact, the only woman he had been close to lately was Sakura herself.

Itachi confidently walked over to where she sat. He sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for her to collect herself. Why he did this he didn't know. He noticed the scroll hanging open on the edge of the bed.

_I suppose it is a bit more interesting than she let on._

She took a small tissue from the table, wiping her eyes with it. She tried to forget who was sitting next to her.

"What are you doing?" That seemed to be the only thing she could say.

"Why are you crying?" _There's no point to it._

Sakura stared at him incredulously. "Why?" She whispered hoarsely. _Why? Because everything I know is gone now, Itachi! _Sakura screamed silently.

_Because everything I have ever wanted is gone now. I can never get it back. I'm here with you and I don't know why! I don't know why I chose to stay with you, I don't even know why I—_ Sakura stopped herself. _Why I what?_

"What are you doing here?" It was the first thing that came to her mind. _He had better answer this time._

Itachi watched her out of the corner of his eye. She pulled her robe tighter around her body, blocking it from his gaze.

"Well?"  
"What is that?" Itachi's eyes narrowed as he saw the little puppy baring his teeth in a silent snarl, crouched down to attack him.

"Answer my question first." Sakura snapped.

"You cannot give me orders, Sakura."

Sakura bit her lip in frustration. _Of course I can't, you're _Uchiha Itachi_. Sorry I forgot._ She thought sarcastically, feeling more desperate tears fill her eyes.

"It's a puppy."

"I knew that."

"Then why did you ask?" Sakura bit out. She didn't even try to soften her tone. Why did she always seem to get angry when she talked with Itachi?

"Have you decided?"  
Sakura blinked. _Why does he keep asking me questions? He should be answering MINE!_ Naruto continued to growl silently at Itachi, his tail tucked between his legs as he did so.

"Decided what?"

Itachi very narrowly avoided the urge to sigh in annoyance. She was avoiding his questions as much as he was avoiding hers. _This conversation won't last long._

"Are you joining the Akatsuki?"

Sakura didn't look at him as she fiddled with the collar of her robe. Her eyes were hidden beneath her bangs as she looked at the ground. She began to memorize the swirling patterns the wooden floor made as she tried to think of an answer.

_Can I? _

_I don't know._

_Should I? _

_That's a good question._

_Will I?_

_…?_

"Does it matter?" Sakura whispered. "Does it really matter so much to you if I join the Akatsuki or not? I won't be paired with you, so you won't have to worry about seeing me except for when I heal your eyes."

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he watched her. She still wouldn't look up at him. He didn't want to admit it, but it _did_ matter. And just for that reason.

If she was in a different team than himself…on _Deidara's_ team… His eyes narrowed even more. _I think not._

"Hn."

Sakura gave a small sigh. "Is that the only reason you came in here? To ask me if I am joining the Akatsuki?" _Please let there be another reason…please…_

"I want to see the scroll."

Sakura's stomach plummeted. _Dear god! He wants the scroll, what do I tell him?! _She began fumbling with an excuse to tell him, when he reached across her line of sight to grab the scroll from the table.

Her breath froze in her chest.

Before Itachi's hand reached the scroll however, he jerked backwards slightly. Sakura blinked, turning to look to see what had happened.

Naruto was latched onto Itachi's arm, his little teeth digging into the raw, new skin that Sakura had just healed. Sakura inwardly winced. _That must have hurt._

Itachi's eyes narrowed, a small frown curling on his lips as he shook the puppy off of him. It flew across the room, smashing into the wall opposite the bed.

"Naruto!" Sakura gasped out as she rushed forward.

_Naruto?_ Itachi thought.

The dust settled and Sakura let out a small cry. The little clay puppy lay shattered on the ground, clay dust pouring across the floor. Her hands shook as she picked up the only still intact piece of him, a small paw.

She bit her lip to keep from crying.

_Naruto…_She sniffled, her tears hitting the dry clay dust and wetting it. _I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have done that. That was foolish. You should have just run away instead of trying to protect me._

_You're just like the _real_ Naruto, trying to help people even if you get hurt in the process._

"How could you do that, Itachi?" Sakura bit out, glaring at him. "What gave you the right to do that?"

Itachi stood. "Let me see the scroll." _It was just a clay dog._

"Just take it and go!" Sakura yelled out, picking up the fragments of Naruto in her hands, feeling the dry clay crumble and sift through her fingers. "Just go!"

Itachi snorted as he grabbed the scroll, though he merely stayed where he was. He watched her shoulders shake as she mourned over the little clay puppy.

_A stupid gift from Deidara._ Itachi's eyes narrowed. _How pitiful. _

_This just shows how weak you are, Sakura. _

_No Akatsuki member would cry over something like that._

Then Itachi opened the door and walked out, leaving Sakura alone, just like before.

* * *

Sakura swept up Naruto's broken pieces, placing them in a small bowl she found inside of her desk. The only piece she kept out was his little paw. She held it in her palm, rubbing it with her thumb as her tears dotted the floor.

_Alone again._

_Just like before. Am I always going to be alone?_

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she gritted her teeth.

_Jealous bastard._ She cursed Itachi. _You just couldn't let me be happy, could you? Of course not, because it was _Deidara_ who made me happy, not you. Is that it?_

_You never cared before, why now?_

Sakura's fingers shook as she placed the bowl in her chest with her other things, carefully wrapping a piece of cloth over it to keep it from spilling. _I won't forget you, Naruto. You made me happy, even if it was for only a few days._

_Thank you._

She took out a leather string from her pack, tying one end around the little clay paw to hold it in place as she tied it around her neck like an amulet. She touched it with a small, sad smile.

_I won't forget you._

She walked over to her little writing desk, unrolling an empty scroll and dipping her brush in ink. She didn't know why, but she began writing, just to get it all out.

_Dear Naruto,_

_How is everyone in Konoha? I suppose nothing has really changed since I left, but I thought I should ask. _

Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.

_I guess I'm just writing to say hello. Weird, I know. I guess it seems strange to be getting a letter from me. It feels strange writing it. I miss all of you._

_I wanted to tell you about a special little friend I met. He was a little puppy that was given to me as a gift. I named him Naruto, because you two looked so much alike. Sorry about that Naruto, I couldn't resist. He reminded me of you and everyone else in Konoha. Friendly and welcoming. I loved him, he was so adorable! _

Sakura saw her tears dot the scroll.

_But good things don't last forever. Little Naruto isn't here any longer. I miss him, and it makes me miss you even more._

_I feel as if maybe, just maybe, I could go back to Konoha and then everything would be like it used to be. We'd all be friends again. _

_Maybe I could become a Jônin sensei someday, like Kakashi-sensei. Wouldn't that be interesting?_

_But it will never be like that again. _

Sakura closed her eyes, letting the small wave of despair wash over her.

_I can't change what happened, or the decisions I made. I don't think I would change them, even if I could. I made them for a reason, even if I don't know what that reason is._

_I can't go back and pretend everything is fine. I want you to know, however, that I will never forget you or the others. _

_I can't forget the things I love. _

Sakura blinked as she stared down at the paper. She didn't even know why she had written it. She hastily rolled the scroll up, shoving it into one of the drawers. She felt strangely relieved.

Maybe writing that was all she had needed.

_I never want to forget. Forgetting is for the weak. Itachi was wrong. He says I'm weak…but it takes a strong person to remember and accept everything, good and bad._

Sakura gave a small smile, a weak smile, as she stood.

_I _am_ strong, Itachi._

* * *

Itachi was the only person who knew why Sakura was so quiet and subdued when she walked into the kitchen in the morning. Deidara looked at her worriedly, and his eyes looked down at her feet, expecting to see little Naruto running between them, almost tripping her like he always did.

But there was no little Naruto.

Sakura slowly sat down between Kisame and Deidara, giving everyone in the room—minus Itachi, Kakuzu, and Hidan—a welcoming, small smile.

"Good morning."

"Hey kitten." Kisame grinned at her. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm sure she's feeling better than you look, yeah." Deidara joked, commenting on the small icepack on Kisame's forehead. The hangover wasn't gone yet.

Sakura gave a small sigh as she shook her head, taking the icepack off of Kisame and placing her fingers on his temples. "If you didn't drink so much, neither of us would have to go through this every morning, Kisame." She began soothing the pain as she frowned at him.

"Awe, you know you like it kitten." Kisame smirked. "What other time do you get to feel me up?"

Sakura rolled her eyes as Hidan and Kakuzu snorted, while Deidara stuttered something out that sounded like disapproval. Sasori gave a small sigh.

Itachi merely took a sip of his tea.

"Well then, kunoichi, have you made your decision?" Hidan asked irritably.

Someone_ isn't a morning person._ Sakura thought wryly. _And is it back to kunoichi? I got tired enough of that name when _Kisame_ called me that. I'm almost tempted to ask them to call me kitten._

"She doesn't have to answer yet, yeah." Deidara put in.

Sakura smiled to herself. _There you go again Deidara, protecting me. I may not be Akatsuki level, but I am still strong. As much as I appreciate it, I can do this on my own. I _have_ to do this one my own._

"It's alright, Deidara. I've thought it over and I've made my decision." Sakura whispered with a smile.

Deidara swallowed. _What did she choose?_

"Well?" Kakuzu snapped.

"I've never had a problem with healing any of you." Sakura motioned to Sasori, Deidara, Itachi, and Kisame. "And I know I wouldn't mind doing so in the future. If your Leader ever needed me to heal one of the Akatsuki, I suppose I would feel obligated to do so. And I wouldn't mind helping you to gather information, or in simple missions."

_But?_ Deidara asked frantically. _What did you choose, Sakura?_

"But so long as the Akatsuki are still hunting the Jinchuuriki like the Kyuubi in Naruto Uzumaki, then I cannot join you." Sakura finished softly.

Deidara stared at her, strangely relieved. _Way to go, kitten._

Itachi took another sip of his tea. _I knew it._

Sasori raised one eyebrow. _I suppose I should have seen this coming._

Kakuzu and Hidan's eyes narrowed. _She just made a big mistake._

Kisame blinked, staring at her stupidly. _WHAT!?_

"Are you sure?" Sasori asked.

Sakura nodded. "I'm sorry. I just can't…I can't…" _I can't go back on my shinobi way, to protect the people closest to me. That also means Naruto._

"I can't kill innocents."

_Thank god, yeah._ Deidara smiled. "That's alright, Sakura-chan."

Hidan cut in. "Then you are of no use to us."

"That's not true."

Everyone turned to Itachi, surprised at his intervention.

"She can heal."

Kisame nodded, rubbing his head in confusion. "Hai. Kitten already said she'd still do that." He gave a lopsided grin. "I guess she's technically _almost_ a member of the Akatsuki."

Hidan grunted as he and Kakuzu nodded slowly.

"Although I do not agree with your decision, Haruno-san, I suppose I can understand it." Sasori nodded. _Although I have no idea how I am going to explain this to Leader._

"Thank you, Sasori-san." Sakura nodded. "I'm sorry if I disappointed you."

_Quite the opposite, Sakura-chan._ Deidara couldn't help but grin stupidly as he slung and arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it, kitten."

"Kitten?" Kisame's eyes narrowed. "That's _my_ name for her, Deidara."

Deidara frowned slightly, "It's not my fault it fits her so well. You can share, yeah."

"I'm selfish. I hate sharing." Kisame argued.

And just like that, it was over.

Sakura blinked, not really believing it. She had just denied a position in the leading shinobi organization of the world…and it was ok. No one was angry with her. Sakura gave a small smile.

Just like family…they forgave her. Even if she disappointed them, they didn't seem to mind.

_This really is where I belong, isn't it?_

For once, the thought wasn't a bad one. There was no depressing or dismal afterthought, just a laugh as Deidara and Kisame continued fighting, each grabbing one of her arms in an attempt to prove their point.

"Since I thought of it, only _I_ can call her kitten."

"That isn't right, yeah!"

"Don't make me fight you over this, Deidara."

"Don't make me kick your ass over this, Kisame, yeah."

Sakura let out another laugh, "I have an idea, why don't you both call me _Sakura_, that is my name after all."

"But that's no fun!" Both Kisame and Deidara exclaimed at the same time.

Itachi stood, leaving the room silently. Sakura watched him out of the corner of her eye. _I thought he would be happy that I decided to not become Akatsuki. Why can't he at least show me that I made the right decision? Anything…_

She gave a sigh, before plastering another smile on her face, like the geisha puppet Sasori had made her, ever smiling.

She wasn't going to show Itachi how much he was affecting her.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha moved like a man possessed. His stride was daunting, his gaze cold and cruel. His bangs covered his eyes, but small flickers of the crimson Sharingan could be seen as the wind blew his hair across his face.

_…just like him, Sakura, you're just like him…_

_…I am an avenger. How could you make me choose?_

_If you loved me, you would have come with me._

_You wouldn't have betrayed me._

He wore the Uchiha sign proudly upon his back. Perhaps it was to convince himself that there was still a hope of reviving his clan.

_After I kill both of you…then I can rebuild my clan._

_I will finally be free._

_I am an avenger._

_When I kill those that have betrayed me, my mission will be over._

Sasuke literally hummed with fury as he whipped through the trees, his feet barely touching the branches. He didn't know where he was going, not really. But he felt as if his hatred would guide him to where he needed to go.

He would find them if he had to search the whole world.

He still couldn't understand how or why Sakura could betray him like she did. But what was done was done. She was a betrayer, as bad as his brother in his eyes. The young girl he had once known was gone.

_"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura was out of breath as she walked up to him, a small bundle in her arms. _

_Sasuke turned with a small sigh. _What does she want now?_ He watched her walk up to him, her hair trimmed neatly, like it had been ever since the Chûnin exams. She had never decided to grow it back._

_"Hn."_

_Sakura smiled at him. "Where are you going?"_

_"Training." Sasuke began walking in the other direction._

_"Oh." Sakura nodded as she walked with him. She didn't seem to let his negative mood offend or deter her. "Can I come?"_

_"No."_

_Sakura sighed. "Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?" He could hear the pained tone in her voice._

_"Hn."_

_She spoke again. "Why won't you tell me anything?"_

_…_

_"Sasuke." She stopped in front of him, her gaze serious. "Why won't you tell me? If you can't tell _me_ what's wrong, who can you tell?"_

_"No one." Sasuke answered back acerbically. "I don't need to explain myself to anyone."_

_"Very well." Sakura whispered, holding out the package in her arms._

_"What's this?" Sasuke snapped. _

_Sakura put it into his arms, before beginning to walk away. "Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun." Then she disappeared around the bend, her eyes hidden behind her bangs, though he saw tears dot the ground in front of her._

_Sasuke stared at the package. _I didn't think anyone remembered.

_He opened the package, eyes narrowing before they widened in surprise._

_It was a new kunai pouch, filled with sharpened kunai and shuriken, as well as a ninjutsu scroll he had never seen before. On the pouch was a hand-stitched picture of the Uchiha symbol._

Thank you._ He said silently, staring at the pack, his hand trailing over the Uchiha symbol. _

Sasuke's hand tightened as he instinctively reached down to take a kunai out of his pouch, holding it tightly between his fingers. As he did so, his hand grazed the monogrammed Uchiha symbol that had been lovingly placed there.

* * *

Deidara hummed a small tune as he walked down the hall. He was wearing his full Akatsuki attire, minus the hat. He stopped in front of an all too familiar doorway with a bright smile as he knocked.

"Are you ready yet, kitten? Kisame is waiting outside, yeah." Deidara waited for a reply.

"You can come in!" Sakura's voice came through the walls. She seemed a bit aggravated, by her tone, which confused him even more. He slid the door open with his usual smile, however.

"What's taking you so long, yeah?" He grinned at her as he watched her run across the room, grabbing something from her desk. She was wearing the sky blue kimono he had gotten her, with white and pink cranes etched upon it.

She looked up at him with a smile. "I'm ready!" She had just finished tucking something into the hem of her kimono, and she was carrying a little purse with her. On it was a frog key chain.

"From my friend Naruto." She commented with a smile, noticing where his gaze went. "I thought I could treat you and Kisame to some food. This _is_ a festival after all."

"That sounds nice, yeah." Deidara nodded as he and Sakura headed out of her room. He suddenly frowned as he looked around.

"Where's the puppy, yeah?"

Sakura's smile dimmed as she bit her lip, before grabbing Deidara's arm and steering him out of the temple. "He's sleeping."

Deidara was satisfied with that answer as he and Sakura walked a bit down the path until they met Kisame, who had become impatient and begun walking without them. He frowned when he saw them.

"It took you long enough. All of the food is going to be gone by the time we get there."

"Don't be so pessimistic." Sakura laughed. "All the good stuff happens when the sun goes down."

"You'd know, wouldn't you kitten?" Kisame winked. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean, eh Kisame?" Deidara frowned.

"Nothing." Kisame answered, looking as innocent as he possibly could. That, of course, wasn't very innocent.

"Besides, I doubt you're going to be paying any attention to food, Kisame. You do know that they don't sell alcohol here until after dark, right?" Sakura asked.

Kisame smirked. "You seem to have forgotten who I am, kitten."

"Oh?"

Kisame snorted. "I'm Akatsuki. They'll open any bar I damn well tell them to."

Sakura sighed. _I'd almost forgotten that these are Akatsuki I'm dealing with. Manners aren't a requirement for a great shinobi._

"Just try not to upset them, will you?" Sakura's sandal caught on a rock and she lost her balance. She clutched Deidara's arm to steady herself. She let out a small laugh as she fell against his chest. "Sorry."

"It's fine, yeah." Deidara answered back truthfully. He was enjoying Sakura's new cheerfulness immensely.

"Don't grope him, kitten. He'll get a nose bleed." Kisame grinned ruefully.

Deidara frowned as Sakura let out a peal of laughter. It was going to be a long walk down to the village, but Sakura supposed it wouldn't be a bad trip after all.

She wondered why Itachi and Sasori had decided not to come. Hidan and Kakuzu had left an hour or so before Sakura and the others had gotten the notion to head down to the village for their small festival.

* * *

Sakura didn't believe she'd ever had so much fun.

She took in the sights of the small little shops, still holding onto Deidara's arm. The people of the village apparently didn't know what the red clouds on Deidara and Kisame's robes signified, which cheered Sakura considerably.

Here, they were just normal people. Well, as normal as they could be.

After all, she had pink hair, Deidara looked like a girl, and Kisame was practically a two-legged man-shark.

Sakura hugged the small teddy bear that Deidara had won for her. She supposed it wasn't really fair, since a shinobi could win any of those games hands down. But she didn't mind. She was merely reveling in this dream-like moment.

There were only two things that would have made it better: Naruto…and Itachi.

But she didn't have either of those things and she was having plenty of fun without them. She breathed in the smell of the nearby restaurant. "Oh that smells so good!"

Deidara steered her towards the booth, smiling at the shopkeeper. "Two of the fried squid, please."

"Hai!" The man smiled at them.

Deidara took some money out of his pocket but the man shook him off.

"The happy couple should eat for free."

Sakura and Deidara both blushed, as they took their food. Sakura looked up at Deidara and smiled. "Itadakimasu!"

"Itadakimasu kitten, yeah." Deidara answered back.

"No food for me?" Kisame whined. "Awe come on, Deidara. You don't have to be so cheap."

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. "Calm down, Kisame. It's not like you wanted any anyway. This is like your cousin, after all." She motioned to the squid.

Kisame frowned. "I know when I'm being dismissed." He waved them off with a pout. "I'll just go where I'm _wanted_."

Sakura closed her mouth, thinking she might regret the retort she was about to say. She merely smiled at him. "Have fun Kisame!"

She saw him head towards a bar and she sighed deeply. She would really have to stop his drinking problem. She gave another small sigh as she smiled up at Deidara. _Now is as good a time as any._

"Deidara, I want to talk with you…privately." Sakura whispered as she led him down another street, one a little less crowded with people.

Deidara frowned in confusion but complied willingly. "Alright, yeah. What's on your mind?"

"I wanted to tell you…what really happened to the puppy you made me, little Naruto." She whispered.

"What do you mean?"

Sakura bit her lip. "He's dead."

"Nani?"

"Well, I guess he can't really be dead, can he? But he's as close as he possibly could be." She whispered, reaching for something around her neck. She pulled out a small amulet. There was no precious stone hanging from it, but a little clay paw.

"What happened, yeah?"

"Well…" Sakura sniffled slightly. "You see…he bit Itachi."

That was all she had to say.

Two thoughts came to Deidara's mind. _1.What the hell was Itachi doing in Sakura's room? 2. He did it because he knew I had given it to her._

"That bastard, yeah." Deidara cursed, "How could he have done something like that?"

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know…" She whispered. "But I just wanted you to know…that he meant a lot to me. Thank you."

"I can make you another one, yeah—" Deidara began, but stopped as Sakura shook her head.

"I don't think I want another one." She answered back truthfully. "That would take away the significance of little Naruto. He was special to me, and I don't want you to make me something just to replace him with."

"Someone should go talk to Itachi about this, yeah. He had no right to do that!" _Or to be in your room, yeah!_

"Deidara…" Sakura began, but he was already gone. She could feel his chakra signature heading away from her, towards the Cloud temple. _Deidara! Don't be stupid! My goodness this isn't what I wanted to happen!  
_

She frantically looked down the street, before rushing back up the busier one. "Kisame?" She called out, trying to locate the small bar she had seen him walk into. _Maybe you can go and stop him before he does something he'll regret._

She finally spotted it, hurrying inside, "Kisame?"

_Why do I have to be his babysitter?_

* * *

Naoyo gave a small smile as she saw the blonde-haired Akatsuki member walk off with the pink-haired girl from Konoha. The large Akatsuki member, Kisame Hoshigake, walked into a bar.

_I suppose he'll have to be the one._ She thought with a frown. _What a pity, the blonde would have been more fun. And he's so handsome! But this idiot will be easier to seduce._ She walked into the bar, letting her kimono slide slightly off of her shoulders. She felt small legs tickle the inside of her sleeve.

_Not yet._ She warned the small spider silently as she surveyed the room. She saw him immediately down a large cup of sake. _He's an alcoholic. This will be easier than I had thought._

She ignored the admiring stares from the male population in the bar, as well as the jealous ones from all of the whores. She merely sneered at the glaring little girls, seeing them gasp in indignation.

She chuckled to herself as she slid into the seat beside Kisame Hoshigake.

"Hello there." She murmured as she ordered a drink. "Who're you?"

He raised one eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

_He needs a few more drinks._ She mused silently, putting a small pout on her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't meant to disturb you…" She trailed off, leaning more fully on the counter, letting the kimono slip even more off of one shoulder.

She saw his eyes rivet to her cleavage line. _This will be easier than I thought._ She grabbed a hold of her drink, taking a small sip of it, licking the last few drops from her ruby red lips slowly.

Kisame blinked, looking at her through narrowed eyes. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

Naoyo leaned closer, smiling coyly at him. "I disarray you're someone I could become very close to tonight, if that's what you mean."

Kisame blinked once more. Was she serious? He downed his sake, asking the bartender for another drink. He gave a small smile. _I might as well enjoy this._

"That works for me." Kisame grinned. "And what's your name?"

"Naoyo." She scooted closer to him on the bench, so that she was practically sitting in his lap. She looked down at Samehada leaning against the bar. "You have a very large sword… mister…?"

"Kisame." Kisame smirked, tipping her face up so she could look him in the eye. "And that's not the only big sword I have, if you catch my meaning."

Naoyo smiled at him. _He's as pompous and conceited as a rooster! This will be so much fun. _She trailed a hand over his chest, her fingers running along his collarbone.

"Kisame…" She purred, licking her lips as she bent close to his face, their noses almost touching.

Kisame's heart began beating faster. _Damn. She's hot._

She nipped his ear lobe, whispering, "Would you like to show me this big sword of yours? I'm not a swordsman but I think I know how to wield it."

_And feisty!_

Kisame grinned. "Well, I'd be happy to give you lessons."

She smiled at him, "I have a room in the back. You can show me in there, ne?"

"Sounds good to me." Kisame winked as Naoyo slid off of him. He grabbed Samehada, taking it with him as the two made their way down a corridor Kisame hadn't noticed before. He couldn't help but give a small, pompous swagger as all the men in the room glared at him.

_Jealous bastards. I am _so_ getting laid._

_Take that, Deidara. At least _I'll_ be getting something tonight._

Naoyo didn't even bother to knock as she pushed open a door on their right. As soon as Kisame sauntered in she quickly shut the door behind her.

Seductively, she motioned to the bed in the corner. "You can get comfortable, Kisame."

Kisame smirked as he leaned back on the bed. She drifted gracefully over to the bed, the kimono slowly coming undone as she did so. It just barely covered all the necessary places as she languidly sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning in close to Kisame.

She trailed her hand down his mesh-covered chest, playing with the corner of his shirt. "You really don't need this, do you?"

Kisame grinned. "Do with me what you will."

_Oh I intend to._ Naoyo laughed to herself as she slowly rolled up his shirt, caressing his skin as she went. She finally began pulling it over his head. As soon as his vision was obscured, she allowed the small spider on her arm to crawl onto Kisame. If Kisame recognized the difference between Naoyo's searching fingers and the spider, he made no effort to stop either.

Naoyo smiled as the shirt came off, just as the spider sank its fangs into his skin.

Kisame gave a small grunt. "You're a wild one, aren't you?" _This really is my lucky day._

Naoyo smiled seductively at him as she leaned in closer, her bare skin touching his. _The poison will shut off his respiratory system, before it begins to paralyze the nerve endings and make him completely immobile. _

Her hand trailed down to his waistline, where she teased the hem of his pants. "Shall we?"

"Kisame! I thought I'd never find you and yet, here you are in so much—oh my _god_!"

Naoyo stiffened, eyes narrowing as she turned around. The pink-haired Konoha shinobi, the one Tomokazu had said was named Sakura Haruno, was standing in front of them, eyes wide in horror, with what looked like mild nausea.

"Kisame, you have got to be kidding me." Sakura gasped out, resisting the urge to shield her eyes. "Did you kidnap this poor woman?"

Kisame grunted, "What do you want, kitten? Can't you see I'm busy? And no, I didn't kidnap her, alright? She just enjoys my company. Jealous? I'm sure if you ask nicely a threesome wouldn't be too much of a problem—"

Sakura once again had to stop the gag reflex.

She resisted the urge to ask the woman if she had been drugged, but the woman had slipped off of the bed. She was making her way to the door. Sakura merely crossed her arms over her chest. "We're needed back at home." Sakura said seriously. "Something is happening. And for god's sake, put a shirt on!"

Kisame's eyes narrowed before he nodded. "Alright, alright." _I have more sake at home. At least I can still get drunk._ He made to get up but stopped as he clutched his head. "Damn."

"What's wrong Kisame?" Sakura sighed in agitation. "You're probably just drunk. Come on, let's go."

Sakura touched his hand and stopped. His chest rose with small, shallow breaths. She frowned, immediately knowing that something was wrong. She bent down to check his pulse—it was almost too faint to feel! His skin was flushed and hot, as if he had a fever.

"Why do you feel so warm Kisame?"

"Well, you see kitten, when a man loves a woman…"

She was in no mood to deal with his sexual innuendos.

"Kisame, are you alright?" But his eyes slowly drifted shut and he didn't hear her.

She sent her healing chakra into him, seeing strange venom traveling through his bloodstream, attacking his vital organs. _He was bitten by something!_ She immediately began attacking the venom with her own chakra, destroying it. It was a hard task to get all of them, as she tried not to hurt anything else in his body in the process.

She decided that she couldn't do much more at the moment, until she regained some more chakra. She had stabilized him enough so that he was in no more danger at the present time.

That was when a small pinprick of pain hit her. She gave a small gasp and instinctively put a hand to her arm, smashing whatever it was that had bit her.

She then looked at her hand.

A small spider lay crushed there. She wiped the bug on the bed sheet with a grimace. _So, that's probably what bit Kisame. I need to get the poison out of me fast._

But she had no time.

She felt a nagging presence behind her and she patted her obi, where a kunai was hidden. There was something wrong with that whore who had been with Kisame.

Well, there were actually a lot of things wrong with it.

For one, no woman in her right mind, not even a well-paid whore, would flirt or sleep with Kisame Hoshigake. Sakura wasn't trying to be rude, she was merely stating facts. Besides, there was something strange in the woman's eyes.

Hatred and a…lust for blood.

Just like Tomokazu's.

_This is a wonderful time to go a-wall, Deidara!_

She turned to find the woman standing casually in front of her, her kimono still hanging almost completely off of her body.

"I don't think you'll be taking him anywhere, little girl." The woman laughed. "I'm here for him, not for you."

_I knew she was trouble._ Sakura's eyes narrowed as her hand slowly slipped under her obi for the kunai.

"And why is that?" Sakura's eyes narrowed. "And who on earth are you?"

"None of your business." The woman's eyes narrowed in return. "Just give me Kisame Hoshigake."

"You know who he is?" Sakura asked.

"I wouldn't have said his name if I didn't know who he was." The woman answered back sarcastically.

_Well, at least I know she can't be reasoned with. There's no point in reasoning with fools. _

Sakura twirled her kunai. "I'll ask you again, what is your name? If you know who Kisame is, then you probably know who I am. It's only polite if we exchange formalities."

The woman smirked. "You're such a cute little thing, aren't you? Very well, my name is Naoyo. And you're right, I _do_ know who you are, Sakura Haruno."

Sakura watched Naoyo carefully, though she had to blink. The poison's initial effects were starting. It was getting a little bit harder to breath. _So, it attacks the respiratory system first._

"Just give him to me and I'll spare your little life. Tomokazu is angry with you but I'm sure I could get him to cut you a break."

Sakura froze in place. "Tomokazu…?" She whispered in dread. _Him? She works for him? My god, that means he knows where the Akatsuki are! Why is he here—the scroll._ Sakura paled.

"That's right." Naoyo laughed. "He didn't like the little joke you played on him. You should have given him the scroll."

Sakura's hand tightened around the kunai.

Naoyo loosened her obi some more, letting the kimono fall off of her even more.

"I'm not that kind of girl, Naoyo." Sakura commented lightly, looking around for anything she could use to escape. She was in no condition to fight.

Naoyo laughed. "It's not for your benefit that I'm doing this, little girl. I want to give my little darling some legroom. Quite literally."

Sakura let out a small gasp as she saw the tip of a hairy leg appear over Naoyo's shoulder, followed by two more legs. A large spider, almost identical to the one that Sakura had killed, crawled off of Naoyo and onto the ground.

_Her tattoo. I saw it before but I didn't pay any attention to it. Did it really just come to life?_ Her training led her to believe that it wasn't a genjutsu. Which meant that the spider had to be real.

Sakura now had two opponents to deal with, the spider and Naoyo. And she was beginning to feel her reaction time slow. She threw her kunai, but Naoyo grabbed it in the air, sending it back at her.

Sakura dodged it, jumping backwards and stumbling as she landed. She blinked again, forcing her eyes to remain open. _Damn this poison. I don't have the time or the chakra left to destroy it, or even slow the blood flow. If it reaches my heart I'm dead._

She was nearly up against the wall. _I can't fight in this tight of a space._

Sakura took another few steps backward as the world began spinning. She just managed to gain back her balance as a large, blurry black figure lunged at her. She dodged it, sending her knee up into its abdomen as it went past. It let out a small shriek and Sakura felt her stomach begin to churn as the spider's stomach exploded. Sakura decided then and there that she would never use her special strength against a spider again.

It had popped like a rotten watermelon.

Sakura shot backwards, waiting for an attack from Naoyo. There was none. The woman merely watched Sakura in annoyance.

Then Sakura turned to the spider and saw it begin to twitch. Its insides shuddered and shifted as a transformation began—into five smaller spiders. She felt sick again, but she held it all in as she tried to remain focused.

The spiders began rapidly growing to the height of their parents, all turning on their hairy legs to form a line in front of Sakura.

"The spiders are connected with my chakra, in fact, that's all they are. No matter how many times you kill them, they will come back, and they will multiply. I'll just sit here and wait for the poison to take effect."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "This room is definitely not big enough for all of us." She focused some of her chakra into her hand, slamming her fist into the wall. It shot off of the building, splintering into small pieces of wood. Sakura hurriedly jumped outside, feeling the cool night air on her flushed skin.

_So, it's made of chakra, eh? Naoyo probably doesn't attack people on her own, instead she uses her poisons and spiders to kill other people. That means that if I get rid of the spiders, she's defenseless._

_It's only a theory of course._

Naoyo calmly walked out of the large gaping hole in the room, her spiders under foot, crawling across the shadowed ground.

Sakura wavered, but managed to hold her ground.

She racked her brain for ideas, a small one came to her, though she didn't know if it would end in victory or disaster. What she needed to do was get back over to Kisame.

Sakura used a substitution jutsu, flipping through the air and rushing into the hotel room, stumbling. There was a shriek as one of the spiders grabbed a hold of Substitution Sakura, which had an exploding tag on it. Sakura heard the loud splatter as the spider exploded, before the sickening sound of it regrouping could be heard as it changed into even more little monsters.

_I hope this works._

Three of the spiders rushed into the opening of the room, hissing at her. She could see the venom dripping from their fangs, but she tried to ignore it. After all, she was dying from their poison anyway. Getting bit again wasn't going to matter if she couldn't get the _first_ bite of poison out.

The spider lunged at her once more, but it wasn't in time to stop the large Samehada that connected with it, searing through its body and draining all of its chakra as it went.

She stopped for a moment. Wait, Samehada was letting her hold it? No one but Kisame could wield Samehada; it would attack anyone else who tried. Yet it remained still in her hand, as if it understood the emergency.

But, as she realized, when she had used Samehada to drain the chakra from the chakra bond on the hotel door a few weeks back…it had not fought her then either.

"NO!" Naoyo hissed. "How could you wield Samehada? HOW?"

_I honestly don't know._ But Sakura didn't try and ponder it as she swung Samehada once more, connecting with the second and third spiders. One of the spiders grabbed onto her arm, sinking its fangs inside of her. Sakura let out a small cry as she slammed it into the wall to get it off. As it fell to the ground she stabbed it with Samehada, before she stumbled again, feeling her strength leave her. _I still have two from the first spider, and five from the other one I killed. Don't give up now, Sakura._

She did a simple wind jutsu that Temari had taught her, which swirled the earth around in the air, making it hard to see. She heard Naoyo curse, but she paid it little attention as she slashed through three more of the spiders as they walked blindly through the dust storm.

"How can you wield Samehada! Who taught you to wield it!?"

Sakura ignored Naoyo's furious shrieks as she sped through the wind and dust, cutting three more of the spiders down with the large, heavy sword. It was beginning to weigh down on her, and her breathing was labored.

There was only one more left.

Samehada clunked as it landed on the ground, Sakura heaving as she tried to lift it. She pulled in vain as the spider began walking towards her. She looked up at Naoyo, spitting out blood from her mouth. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

As soon as the spider was in range, Sakura pulled up the sword, stabbing it straight through the last spider's body. The spider gave a loud shriek as it convulsed beneath the blade, before falling still.

Sakura saw Naoyo take a step backward, but she was already on her guard, her hand filled with chakra. She breathed in deeply as she summoned the last vestiges of her strength into the blow. If she didn't kill Naoyo here and now, then she was as good as dead.

As soon as Sakura's hand came in contact with Naoyo's stomach, she paled, trying to jerk her hand back. Her hand tingled as a strange sensation shot through her fingers. It was the downside of being a medical shinobi, the ability to sense life, even at its most miniscule. But it was too late; the damage had already been done. The woman screamed as she fell to the ground, a gaping hole where her stomach had once been. She slumped to the ground in a lifeless heap.

_Oh my god…_

Sakura fell to her knees, partly because of the poison.

_No…I didn't just…I couldn't have just…it's not possible…_

She looked down at her hands through her blurring, dimming eyesight. They were covered in Naoyo's blood. She heard Kisame shift behind her, beginning to wake up.

_I'm going to die…and I deserve this…_

Sakura's entire body shook as she began losing consciousness. She'd always said she'd never kill an innocent. She's always said that she would never stoop to that level.

It was one of the reasons she had never wanted to become an Akatsuki.

But now, she merely felt like a hypocrite after telling the others that she wouldn't kill an innocent person.

She just had.

She was a murderer.

Sakura felt her world go black, but she didn't really care. She had murdered a small child. She had ended a newborn's life before it had officially begun.

Naoyo had been pregnant.

**(A/N: Alright! Well, I know you were all worrying about who it was we lost in this chapter. Everyone was so worried it was Deidara, but I would never be able to kill him off. He's too cute, yeah:) And it's not Sakura, or else the story would kind of suck afterwards.**

**It was poor lil' Naruto…sigh…I will miss him. He was so _cute_! Ok, so he was only in two chapters but** **he holds a place in all our hearts! There was actually a point to this, and I can tell you that it really _is_ very significant.**

**Poor Sakura, she'll never forgive herself. Way to go Deidara, leaving Sakura to go get Kisame…geeze…I really don't want to see the confrontation between Deidara and Itachi. **

**I'm sure you'll all love the next chapter. I can assure you, I certainly will. It'll get kind of steamy… It might also be a tearjerker. Lots of emotions.**

**(And Naoyo's dead, but she wasn't the person any of us really cared about either. She was just kind of there. Poor girl. Of course Tomokazu probably won't be too happy about this.)**

**Sigh, this chapter actually began and ended a bit differently with the whole fight scene between Sakura and Naoyo. But, you see, my sister (and editor) didn't really like the layout for the battle between Sakura and Naoyo (it was in the forest) and she was like, 'we should have it in the hotel room! That'll give us more action!'**

**I bet she just wanted to see Kisame have sex. Hehehe…just kidding. I love my sister. It actually _did_ make the chapter a bit more interesting. So I suppose a thanks is in order for the setting of the fight scene. **

**The chapter was called Back to Square One because our loveable idiot Itachi ruined any little romantic moment he had with Sakura. …Sigh…**

**Until next time!**

**Lady Hanaka**

**Quote: Carpe diem – Seize the day. Carp in denim – There's a fish in my pants!**

**(A true Kisame quote!)**

**P.S. I just wanted to tell you all that I've decided to dedicate this little chapter to my dog, who is the model for Akamaru as well as little Naruto. Everything they've done so far (within the boundaries of reality) is something my little doggy has done.**

**So um…ok. I guess that's all. Love all of you!)**


	5. Chapter 4: Good Intentions

**Chapter 4**

**Good Intentions**

Kisame awoke groggily, feeling numb all over. But he somehow managed to sit up, clutching his head. _Damn, I must have had a wild time last night._ He peered around the room, and his eyes grew wide.

"What the hell!?"

Lying on the ground was the woman, Naoyo, _almost_ fresh blood still leaking from the humongous gaping hole in her stomach. Lying beside her was Sakura, her hands covered in what Kisame guessed was Naoyo's blood.

She was barely breathing.

"What happened, kitten?" Kisame asked as he slowly stood, feeling his legs threaten to go out from under him.

No response.

Kisame looked down to see the pinpricks of fangs on her arm. He frowned, _why does this seem familiar? It looks like she's having trouble breathing or something._

He then looked at his own arm, where two pinpricks also stood out. He remembered feeling a cool chakra go into him and take away the pressure on his lungs. It had seemed like a dream, but he supposed it had something to do with Sakura.

_My little kitten must have taken out all the poison._ Kisame frowned as he looked down at her barely rising chest. _She actually saved my life._

_Dammit. I'm not medical shinobi._

He pulled off his headband, tying it tightly around her arm in hopes of using it as a tourniquet. He then took out a kunai and sliced open her arm, letting the infected blood bleed out.

As soon as he guessed that she had bled off enough of the venom without having lost too much blood, he bound her arm once more. _Thanks for teaching me how to deal with poison, little kitten._

He then grabbed Sakura, threw her over his shoulder, and reached for Samehada. He stopped, frowning. He had put Samehada against the wall next to the bed. _How did it get all the way over here, and jammed into the ground?_

Kisame merely pulled it out of the floor easily, placing it upon his back as he leaped through the large gaping hole where a wall had once stood.

_I guess that whore was really a kunoichi._

_Damn._

_If Sakura survives this, she'll never let me live this down._

_…_

_…_

_…_

_I hope she nags me about it every day for the rest of my life._

* * *

Sasori and Itachi were having a nice cup of tea in the kitchen when the door slammed open and a furious Deidara walked inside.

"Itachi-san, what the hell, yeah?"

Itachi merely took another sip of his tea calmly, as if he hadn't noticed Deidara's explosive entrance at all.

Sasori raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going to happen now. Itachi must have done something to anger Deidara. Of course, that something could be anything that dealt with Sakura Haruno, so it wouldn't take much to get him riled anyway. _Don't do something you will regret, Deidara…_ He felt as if he had silently given this warning to Deidara a million times before.

Deidara was breathing deeply, his face red and his eyes narrowed dangerously. He seemed to be getting ready to blow up right then, just like one of his explosive clay birds.

Itachi continued to watch him stoically.

"Hn."

Deidara inhaled—and then let it all out.

"You smashed it! You broke it into a million pieces! There's nothing left except dust! What did you do, punch it!? I can't fix it! You made Sakura cry! It was her best friend and you BROKE IT, YEAH!"

There was a long period of silence.

…

…

…

Itachi took a sip of his tea.

…

…

…

"Excuse me?"

"ExCUSE you, yeah!?" Deidara glowered. "Don't play dumb, Itachi-san. You broke Sakura-chan's puppy!"

Sasori looked from Deidara to Itachi. He had been wondering where the little dog had gone.

"It was a clay dog." Itachi stated coolly. "Nothing more."

"It meant a LOT more than that to Sakura-chan, yeah." Deidara answered back.

"Hn."

"You know what, yeah?" Deidara sneered at him, still boiling. "I think you're jealous of me Itachi."

Itachi's eyes narrowed to mere slits. He placed his cup on the table with an almost shattering force.

"No, better yet, I think you're jealous of that little puppy."

Itachi's hand clenched.

"Do tell." His voice was slightly icy, though it held its usual monotone. However, there was a threatening undertone to it that Sasori heard.

"Because unlike you, yeah, that little puppy actually _meant_ something to Sakura-chan."

Itachi slowly stood.

Sasori hurriedly stood, seeing the anger flaring between the two of them. He was ready to stop the fight he knew was coming when the door burst open once again. Sasori resisted the urge to roll his eyes. What happened now? What else _could_ possibly happen? Was _Kisame_ going to suddenly have feelings for Sakura and come try and beat up Itachi too?

It was indeed Kisame, but he didn't look furious as much as he did downright frightened. In his arms he held a limp figure, whose bright pink hair hid her face from view. Her blue kimono was drenched in dried blood.

"Sakura-chan!" Deidara exclaimed, rushing forward, but Kisame snorted, giving him a warning glance. "Back off Deidara, she's been poisoned."

"Poisoned, yeah?" Deidara mused aloud. His voice had changed back to its almost normal tone. It was no longer that angry, strangely threatening one that Sasori had heard before.

"Yeah." Kisame nodded, laying Sakura out on the small coffee table. "I drained it out as best as I could, but I don't have enough medical skills to know which medicine to give her to help ward anything else off."

"What was she poisoned with?" Sasori asked, coming around the side with Deidara. Itachi and Kisame stood on her other side. Deidara continued shooting death glares at Itachi, who didn't seem to notice or care.

"She was bit by er…something." Kisame grunted. "A spider I think."

"There aren't any poisonous spiders native to this area." Sasori commented. "Which means that it was certainly brought here for such a purpose."

"The leaf ANBU yeah! They're here to kill Sakura-chan because she's a missing-nin now."

"Uh, yeah. That was my first thought too." Kisame nodded.

"Where were you when she was poisoned?" Itachi finally spoke.

Kisame almost cringed at the tone. Why did he have a feeling Itachi was blaming _him_ for this? "Busy."

"With what?"

"Some enemy shinobi." _This lie just keeps getting better and better doesn't it? Keep it simple, Kisame. It'll make it easier to remember it all._

"Were they Konoha shinobi?"

"Uh. No." Kisame shook his head. "But they weren't the ones that attacked the kitten, either."

Sasori and Itachi both shot him a glance that told him they didn't believe a word he'd just said, but he pretended not to notice. Sasori grabbed a bag from within a cupboard. He pulled out some salves and pill bottles.

He grabbed Sakura's arm, smearing a mint green-colored paste over the large wound Kisame had helped to create. He then wrapped it with gauze tightly to keep the balm in place. Afterwards, he took out two pills from a bottle and forced them down her mouth, making her swallow before drinking some tea to help wash it down.

"She has a fever. She'll have one until the medicine finally defeats the poison inside of her. It shouldn't take longer than three days."

"Three days, yeah?" Deidara asked worriedly.

Sasori merely watched him coolly. "Indeed. I am judging this by other arachnid poisons I have seen. Perhaps it will be a shorter time period, or perhaps it will be a longer one, I do not know."

"We could get her to a medical shinobi—" Deidara began.

"No."

Deidara glared at Itachi. "Maybe YOU don't care what happens to Sakura-chan but I do."

"Deidara, stop it." Sasori stopped him from getting Itachi any angrier with him as he gave a loud sigh. "Kisame, put Haruno-san in her room. I will continue giving her the medicine there."

"Right." Kisame lifted her easily, walking out of the room. Sasori stopped at the doorway, "Deidara, come with me. I may need your help." _And I really need to keep you and Itachi out of each other's way._

"Yeah." Deidara nodded, shooting an evil glance at Itachi before following Sasori out of the room.

* * *

Three days later Sakura's fever broke.

She slowly opened her eyes, feeling groggy, almost as if she were drugged. She slowly sat up, taking the cool cloth off of her forehead as she did so. It was soaked in sweat. She looked down at her arm, seeing blood-soaked dressing.

_At least I survived._ Sakura thought numbly. Then her gaze darkened as she wrapped her arms around her legs, bringing them up to her chest.

_That little baby didn't._

_…it was going to be a little girl._

_…I wonder what she was going to name it?_

_…who was the father?_

_…would she have had her mother's eyes, or her father's?_

_…what color would her hair have been?_

Sakura felt the hot tears roll down her cheeks as she sniffled.

_I'll never know._

She felt horrible. She felt guilty. She felt…unclean. She had murdered a small child. A baby. A little girl.

_Somebody else's little Sakura-chan._

She thought of her parents, and wondered what would have happened if she had been killed like that, along with her mother. Her father would have been devastated, surely.

What would have happened to everyone else around her, if she hadn't been there?

Maybe a stronger person would have been put on Sasuke's team and would have been able to stop him from leaving in the first place.

Maybe Naruto would never have made any friends and would have grown up like Gaara.

But that didn't really matter. After all, she was there.

How many lives would that little girl have influenced? How many people might she have changed in her lifetime?

Would she have been a kunoichi, like her mother?

_But she would have been a good kunoichi. A great and powerful ally of Konoha._

Maybe she would have been an actress.

_I always wanted to be an actress. _Sakura thought to herself, _they are always so perfect and beautiful. They get all their lines and everyone loves them…and they get to pretend and play dress-up for a living. I always wanted to do that when I was a little girl._

Maybe she would have been a singer.

_I never would have been able to do that, even if I had wanted to. I can't carry a tune._

Sakura's mind was so filled up with 'maybes' and 'what ifs' that it just made her cry even harder. She sobbed into her blanket, which she wrapped tightly around herself.

_Maybe…she would have been best friends with Atsuko._

Wouldn't that have been nice? 

Sakura would have continued berating herself, if the door hadn't opened.

Itachi walked inside as usual, a little bit surprised to see Sakura actually awake. She was sobbing heavily, and she had tensed when the door opened, but she didn't look up at him.

"You're awake."

"How observant of you, Itachi-san." Sakura's voice was muffled and clogged, as if she were having difficulty speaking.

Itachi realized she was upset over something, but he didn't believe it was still that little clay puppy. Even Sakura wasn't weak enough to dwell on that for so long.

"How is your chakra supply?"

Sakura closed her eyes with a small sigh, sniffling. She gave a sad laugh. _Your eyes, right? How did I know? I mean, it's not as if you would come in here to make sure I was doing ok and ask me why I was sad or anything._

"I don't have enough chakra to heal your eyes." She whispered.

"Hn."

Sakura felt a small weight shift as Itachi sat on the corner of the bed. She finally asked another question that had been bothering her. "Did you read the scroll?"

"Hn."

Sakura sighed deeply, seeing that no response was going to come from him. _Oh god Itachi, please don't be like this right now. I need…I need something. I need you to show me one more time that you actually have a heart._

_…I want you to kiss me._

_…please…_

Sakura let go of her knees, shifting on the bed so she was seated next to him like she normally would sit. She placed her hands in her lap. "I said I don't have enough chakra to heal them, but I can try anyway."

_Maybe then…maybe then something will happen. Oh please…_

Itachi watched her for a moment, before nodding.

"Very well."

Sakura lifted her fingertips to his eyes and he closed them, just like she had told him to do every other time she had healed his eyes. She sent a small, miniscule amount of healing chakra into him, just enough to give him a feel of it, to make it look like perhaps she was doing something.

She studied his face.

He looked so much like Sasuke it hurt.

No, different, older. But still…the resemblance was terrifying.

_If I couldn't heal Itachi's eyes, he would kill me, wouldn't he? It is strange, how important my life is to both Uchiha brothers, until both of them get what they want._

_Then, it won't matter anymore._

_I'll be forgotten._

_…like I had never existed._

Sakura traveled his strong jaw with her hand, cupping his cheek with a sad smile. _I wonder, I wonder what it's like to be loved by him like a man loves a woman. That one time…that will never count. I want to know…I want to know what it feels like. I think Itachi is the only person who can ever show me that. _Sakura didn't even know she was doing it until she felt Itachi's eyes on her.

"Sakura?"

Sakura blinked, looking into his eyes. She didn't blush, and she didn't pull away. She merely watched him, her own eyes full of tears, though she was quickly blinking them away. Her gaze traveled to his lips.

His kisses were always so…invigorating. They seemed to give her life. They made her toes tingle.

Itachi more felt than saw her gaze, burning into him and centered on his lips. He could feel her slightly heightened, quicker breaths.

She resisted the urge to touch his lips and feel the softness of him. She wondered how much longer he would merely sit there. He watched her stoically, but she felt a small confusion come from him, as if he didn't understand her motive behind all of this.

_Is there a motive?_

_Yes. I do think there is._

_I want your love, Itachi. I want to know what it feels like to be held in your arms. That's my motive._ Sakura slowly reached out to him once more, placing her hands on his chest.

Itachi almost jerked at the contact, feeling her cool hands on his hot skin even through his shirt, trailing along his chest.

"Itachi…" Sakura whispered desperately, her hands gripping his shirt as she buried her face in his chest, not able to hold back her sobs any longer. "Please…"

Itachi stared down at her, unsure, for once, of what to do. He continued to watch her. He felt her breath hot against his neck.

"Please, take away the pain."

Itachi saw the vulnerability in her eyes, the fragility in her body as she shook with her sobs, the sleeping yukata slipping off of her shoulders.

_She's so vulnerable._

"I need this Itachi…" She whispered, closing her eyes as the tears drifted from beneath her closed eyelids.

"Make love to me and make me forget everything else."

_…_

_…_

_…_

_I would be taking advantage of her._

…

…

…

"No."

Sakura looked up at him, but he had already stood.

"What do you mean?" Sakura whispered hoarsely. She stared at him incredulously.

"I said no, Sakura. I won't sleep with you."

Sakura blinked, wondering at his words. The lonely tears in her eyes now turned to tears of anger and disappointment as she cried out. "Why are you being so selfish?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed.

Sakura continued between sobs as she stared at him. It all just seemed to rush out of her, angry, hurt words. "Why can't you make me happy for once?" She barely even knew what she was saying as she gripped her arms, digging her fingernails into her pale skin. "You know I left behind my entire life for you! I know that sounds stupid right now—I know I probably sound _weak_ to you—but that's how I feel!"

She stopped herself as she gave a small, forlorn sob as she choked out the last part. "Obviously you don't feel the same so you can just…so you can just _leave_."

He watched her, and for once Sakura saw that his emotions were warring with one another. He didn't spare her another glance as he hurriedly left the room and shut the door behind him with a definite click. _I thought you wanted me to be a gentleman, Sakura._

_That's the last time I listen to that weak little voice inside of my head._

Sakura stared after him, not quite comprehending. He had left. Just like that. Like she had wanted him to. But in reality, she hadn't. She continued watching the shut door, hearing his footsteps fade away.

"He…left." Sakura whispered.

Then she gave way to sobs once more.

She finally wiped them away, slipping out of bed. "If you won't help me forget, Itachi…I know something that can." She hurried down the hall to the kitchen.

That was where all the sake was.

* * *

Deidara was walking down the hallway when he heard a loud thump from the kitchen. He frowned as he walked inside, and froze at what he saw.

Kisame, as usual, was sprawled out halfway on the table, sake and beer bottles littering the ground and counters around him. He was snoring loudly.

But seated opposite him at the table, staring into space, was Sakura.

"You're awake yeah." Deidara looked over at her with a smile. She didn't seem to notice him. He slowly walked over, sitting down beside her. "Are you feeling better, kitten?"

Sakura blinked. _Kitten?_ She turned her head slightly to the side and saw Deidara, his face etched in worry. She couldn't help but smile through her tears.

_Deidara…a true friend._

_He'd help me._

_I love him, I know he'd help me._

Sakura reached out a hand to touch his face. "You're the only one who cares…" She whispered gruffly. "Did you know that?"

"Sakura-chan?"

Her shoulders shook as she stared up at him through her tears. "No one else does. I'm so alone, Deidara. Please, don't let me be alone anymore."

_Sakura…_Deidara almost started at their nearness, as he felt Sakura press herself up against him.

"You're my best friend, Deidara. The only person who I care about here." She whispered fervently, her tears soaking his shirt.

"It's alright, yeah. Don't worry, I'm here for you." Deidara faltered as his arms hesitantly went around her, wondering if he was doing the right thing. After a few moments he managed to rock her back and forth, though his arms trembled slightly.

"Without you…I think I would have died."

Deidara almost stopped holding onto her as he looked down in surprise. "Nani?"

"Deidara…" Sakura looked up at him, her face sincere.

"…I love you."

Then she closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his.

Deidara let out a small gasp as he hurriedly kissed her back, holding her closer to him. _Sakura? Is this really you? Are you…are you serious, yeah? _

_She tastes even sweeter than before._

_Oh god._

Deidara's hands played with her hair as Sakura's arms went around his neck. She breathed in his ear, whispering. "Deidara…do you love me?"

"Of course I do, kitten." Deidara managed as he held her even tighter, one arm going around her waist. He couldn't believe this was real, that it was really happening. It felt so strange. So…dreamlike.

If this was a dream he never wanted to wake up.

Sakura's breath was hot on his neck as she played with his hair. Then she looked up at him again, and this time it was Deidara who kissed her.

He picked her up in his arms, reveling in how light she was as he carried her to his bedroom.

Neither of them came up for breath until they were on Deidara's bed, Sakura lying on her back and Deidara beside her, leaning on his elbow as he watched her in amazement.

Sakura's hands roved over his chest, beneath his shirt. His own hands played with her sleeping yukata, untying the sash expertly. She felt a small draft as it slid open, and Deidara began weaving kisses down her neck.

She let out a small gasp.

"_Deidara_."

Deidara closed his eyes as he heard her whisper his name, before he began undoing her bra. Her hands were tugging at his pants, pulling them down past his hips.

Deidara looked down at her, for a moment lost in the worship of her body.

_I'll never forget this night Sakura._

He loomed over her, kissing her heatedly as she pulled him down on top of her.

_And I'll never forget how beautiful you are._

* * *

Sakura blinked, her eyes opening sleepily. She peered past her eyelashes, to the open doorway. She frowned slightly as she saw the picture of red clouds. Who was at her door? She looked up from the cloak and stopped.

Itachi was standing there, but she had never seen him like that before. The small, contented smile on her face seemed to fade as she looked up into his eyes. No Sharingan. But they blazed with something else. Something Sakura had never thought to see in his eyes.

Behind the cool façade, behind the strength, was a pain and hurt that was almost blinding. Sakura's brows furrowed, but Itachi's eyes merely narrowed as he shut the door with a definite click. He might as well have slammed it.

_What's wrong with him? And why do I have such a headache?_ Sakura thought with a groan as she shifted underneath the blankets. Her eyes widened. If Itachi was not there…then whose arm was holding her around her waist, pulling her against a warm, strong chest?

The pillow and blankets didn't smell like her own. It smelled strangely like Deidara…

_Oh my god!_

Sakura jumped out of the bed, throwing the covers back and dashing across the room, her breathing heavy.

Deidara opened his eyes sleepily. "Good morning kitten, yeah."

"What is going on!?!?!" Sakura yelled out in a panic, looking down at her bare body. She needed her clothes. This had to be a dream…this had to be… She grabbed her underwear and bra, slipping them on hurriedly.

"What do you mean?" Deidara sat up on the bed, the blanket pooling around his waist, giving her a good view of his chest. But Sakura wasn't paying him any attention.

"What happened?" Sakura whispered fervently, throwing on her sleeping yukata. "My god what _happened_!?"

Deidara's brows furrowed in confusion, but he gave her a small, teasing smile. "You mean you don't remember, yeah?"

Sakura shook her head furiously, sliding down to the ground, clutching her still aching head. "No. I don't."

Deidara frowned. "What do you mean you don't remember, yeah?"

"I don't remember, ok!?" Sakura clenched her eyes shut, racking her brain for any memories. Anything to tell her what had just happened. The images were blurry, faint. She remembered talking with Deidara, that much she could still see. Then everything went black as their lips met.

_Oh. My. God. _

_And Itachi…he saw me in bed with Deidara…oh no…oh nononononono…_

"Deidara…" Sakura whispered, looking up at him, tears in her eyes.

"…I was drunk…"

"What?" Deidara let out a small laugh. "Drunk, yeah?" _What kind of joke is my little kitten playing?_

"Deidara I'm so sorry…I don't know how it got out of hand. I never meant for this to happen."

"What are you trying to say, yeah?"

"Anything that happened last night, between you and me. I don't know what happened but I know why. It's because I was drunk out of my mind." _Kisame level drunk._ She thought offhandedly, though the thought didn't stick. She was too panicked.

"This isn't funny anymore, kitten, yeah."

"It never _was_ funny, Deidara!" Sakura yelled out. "I was drunk and you took advantage of that, even if you didn't know it."

"What do you mean?" Deidara's eyes narrowed. "Do you mean to tell me that everything that happened last night…was just because of some drinks?" _Please no, Sakura. Don't do this to me, yeah._

"Not the words…they were true." Sakura whispered out, tears clogging her eyes. "I meant those."

"How do I know those weren't just said because you were drunk, yeah!" Deidara shot back. "And here you've been leading me on to believe that I was more to you than a simple friend, yeah."

"When have I EVER told you that you were more to me than a friend!?" Sakura finally stood, watching him through angry, desperate tears. "Don't you dare put this on me!"

"Then why did you let me kiss you, yeah?"

"Because you are the closest person in the world to me!" Sakura wailed out. "Can't you see that? It's true that I was drunk last night, but I still wouldn't have slept with just anyone. If it had been anyone else…I would have said no."

"But because you knew I'd be putty in your hands you chose me, yeah." Deidara snapped out.

Sakura flinched at his words. "Deidara…don't do this. You're not acting like yourself. You know that's not true. You were the only person I could reach out to…"

"..the truth is, Deidara. I'm all alone here. Completely and utterly alone…"

Deidara stared at Sakura's forlorn state, seeing her look up at him with tear filled eyes. His emotions were warring with each other.

_I loved her._

_Do I _still_ love her?_

_What can I do now?_

_Things will never be the same._

…

…

…

"I'm not surprised, yeah."

Sakura felt his words stab through her, and they hurt deeply. She closed her eyes and let them seep in, believing she deserved it. She hurriedly stood, rushing out of the room and out of the temple, sobbing as she went.

Deidara felt a wave of regret hit him, but he ignored it. He couldn't go back on his words now. His fingers trembled in anger as he busied himself with putting his pants back on. As strange as it was, it was the only thing he could think of to do.

He stepped out of his room, with a small frown. He was about to go back inside when Kisame's door flew off the hinges, slamming into the wall opposite it.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY KITTEN, DEIDARA!?!?!?!?!?!"

Sasori opened his door slowly, seeing Kisame and Deidara throwing harsh words back and forth. _I knew this would happen, Deidara. I told you many times to distance yourself from her._

_You brought this upon yourself._

_And you've hurt Haruno-san in the process._

**(A/N: Poor Deidara! He's so heartbroken! And poor Itachi! Oh man, this can't be good. But I think we should be more worried for Sakura! She's the one that can't understand anything that's happening, and now both of them are mad at her for something she didn't really have any control over. Sigh. I hope no one thinks she's a hoe or anything, because she isn't, you know.**

**I almost felt guilty when I was writing the small Deidara/Sakura lemony-ish scene, because it was so sweet. But, as I have said to a few people, I really love Deidara and Sakura together too. (And for anyone who wants me to write an alternate ending to this story with Sakura and Deidara paired together after I finish with the initial Itachi and Sakura ending, I will either send it to them or just put it in as another little story, starting it off at some random chapter. It depends on how many people want this) So if you want a DeiSaku alternate ending, just let me know.**

**Well, the next chapter is going to be kind of edgy and raw, since everyone's angry. Except Sasori. He's as calm as ever.**

**There is some forgiveness in the next chapter, by who I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to wait.**

**And don't worry, all of you who were itching for an actual all out fight between Itachi and Deidara. Sometime later in this story, I have no doubt it will happen…no doubt at all.**

**Until next time, see ya!**

**Lady Hanaka**

**Quote: Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.)**


	6. Chapter 5: The Shadows of Forgiveness

**Chapter 5**

**The Shadows of Forgiveness**

Sakura kept running.

She didn't even know where she was going, only that she had to get away from wherever she was. As far away as possible.

_Deidara…how could you? _

_Do you think I wanted this any more than you did?_

_I didn't _mean_ to hurt you!_

Her bare feet scraped against the sharp stones of the back walkway of the temple. She felt small, jagged pieces of the stone snap off and cut into her feet, but she once again paid them little attention.

_Why can't you understand that? _

_I never meant for this to happen._

She headed through the small orchard in the back of the temple, her feet hitting the cool grass slick with dew. Her feet almost slid on them as she went, but she didn't stop.

She threw up her hands to push the tree limbs away as she blindly lumbered forward, still sobbing.

_But I guess…I guess it's all my fault, isn't it?_

_I shouldn't have blamed you for anything._

_It's my fault._

One tree limb scraped her, cutting a small line across her cheek that began to drip blood. She ignored it.

_I'm so sorry._

She passed through the orchard quickly, stumbling as her feet hit solid wood. She crossed over the small little bridge that went over the koi pond. She steadied her hands on the wooden railing as she felt her legs give out.

Her foot slid on the ground, and she felt a splinter stick into her toe, but she didn't even seem to notice it. The pain was small and insignificant.

She merely leaned against the railing, sobbing, her head pressed against the rough wood as she looked out at the mountains behind her.

She wondered if the Konoha ANBU were waiting for her, watching. Surely Tsunade would have sent them by now. Sakura didn't really care. She welcomed the small change.

Short, quick, she wouldn't even put up a fight.

She had just lost everything.

_Not only you Deidara…_

_…but Itachi as well._

_I saw that look in his eyes._

Her knees scraped against the rough grains of the wood, and they hurt from the position she had been sitting in for too long. Her legs screamed in protest as they began to fall asleep.

_I thought he didn't care._

_…I guess…_

_I guess…he did…just a little…_

_…but why did he say no last night?_

_Why?  
_Sakura slid through the large gaps in the railing, sitting on the outside edge of the small bridge, legs hanging over the side. She placed her feet in the water, seeing the waves branch out and ripple at the contact.

She stared down at her reflection, and she hated everything she saw.

She was disgusting.

She was a horrible, mean person.

Worse than Tomokazu.

He, at least, told someone before he hurt them.

He didn't stab them in the back.

A sudden thought jarred Sakura's mind and she placed a hand on her stomach, her fingers trembling. She and Deidara had just… could she? She searched with her healing chakra, and felt her stomach plummet when she realized that it would never happen.

She wouldn't be able to ask for Deidara's forgiveness that way.

She wondered if she ever gained the courage to ask…

…would he forgive her?

The cool morning air did nothing to soothe her, merely chilled her skin and splashed the water around her ankles.

She watched the koi fish swim passed her feet, their beautifully colored scales reflected in the soft, murky water from the few waning rays of sunlight that drifted from between the clouds.

If she were Deidara…

…she didn't think she'd ever be able to forgive herself.

If she were Itachi…

…she'd be dead.

* * *

Naruto leaned against the tree trunk, breathing in deeply. He wiped the sweat from his brow and grinned at the three people next to him. All three were leaning on each other as they tried to catch their breath.

"How much ground do you think we covered?" Naruto asked excitedly. "We have to be halfway there by now!"

"Hardly. We're not even close." Temari answered back dryly. "But we're making good time."

"Temari's right." Shikamaru nodded. "And I know we're all excited about getting Sakura back, but we can't push ourselves." Temari stiffened, frowning. She knew he was talking about herself, still slightly weak from the encounter with Itachi Uchiha the first time they had tried to get Sakura back.

She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him and instead snorted, turning to look at the only member who hadn't given her input. Temari supposed Tsunade had a reason for bringing Ino along, but she didn't know if she agreed.

She wasn't the strongest. And she sort of slowed them down.

_Or maybe it's the fact that you thought for the longest time she liked Shikamaru and you were always jealous of her back then?_ An inner voice asked rather sweetly. She frowned, clicking her tongue against her the roof of her mouth as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. It was hard and cold on her thighs, but it was doing wonders on her feet, which felt as if they were on fire.

"Hey Ino, how are you holding up?" Temari asked as the group came to a stop.

Ino looked up at Temari's words and frowned. "I'm doing fine." Did she think she couldn't handle it? She was still a great kunoichi, even if she wasn't as good as Sakura or Temari. She was still strong, so there. She gave a small huff before she turned to Shikamaru, who was watching the two with a sigh of exasperation.

_It's not _my_ fault you like bossy, controlling, immature, blonde women._

Ino didn't realize she had just described herself as well as Temari.

Naruto, completely oblivious to this entire exchanged, looked at them expectantly. "Are we gonna start moving again? Maybe we can reach Cloud by nightfall."

"Naruto, we couldn't reach Cloud by nightfall if we had gone at full speed all the way from Konoha. In fact, we'd be right here, where we are now." Temari answered.

Naruto frowned. "We could have gone faster."

"Maybe you can." Shikamaru sighed as he slumped down next to Temari. "But I can't. It's too troublesome, anyway. We need to conserve our energy. We'll be out of friendly territory soon."

"But we have passports this time." Ino pointed out, thankful for the fact. "Which means we'll have free passage through a few more countries, as long as we're quiet and nice about it."

"Hai." Temari nodded. "We just have to be polite."

"That's not one of Naruto's strong suits." Ino teased. Naruto frowned. Temari laughed.

Shikamaru sighed. _Che. Stuck with a loser and two bossy women. This can't get any worse._

Of course, once the words 'this can't get any worse' are uttered, even silently, they are often seen as a challenge to the higher powers, who, with their usual, cruel sense of humor, always prove the thinker incorrect.

For it was at that moment that ten Sound shinobi ambushed them.

Temari jumped backwards, fan already out and open as she got into a fighting stance on a tree branch. Ino landed beside her, a kunai in hand. Her fingers were itching to begin hand signs.

Naruto had disappeared, but he merely appeared a second later, standing upside down on the limb Temari and Ino were standing on. He looked completely relaxed, although he seemed a bit annoyed at the interruption.

Shikamaru merely stood where he was, too lazy to move, once he knew that Temari, Naruto, and Ino could probably take them all out before they reached him anyway. One thing was bothering him, however. And it was the one thing that was apparently bothering all four of them as Naruto spoke.

"Hey you!" He called from his upside down position as he frowned. It wasn't very intimidating, mostly because his hair was flopping into his eyes and the blood was rushing to his head, making his cheeks red. "What's your problem?"

"It doesn't matter what their problem was, I'm going to give them a new problem." Temari grinned as she lifted her fan to swing it.

One of the Sound Jônin frowned from behind his mask. "Just some Konoha shinobi. Come on, we have to get moving."

"You can't." Shikamaru drawled lazily, motioning to their shadows, which he held in his jutsu. "Now why don't you mind explaining yourselves?"

"Don't get in our way, Konoha brat." One of them snapped. "This has nothing to do with you. We're searching for that damned pink-haired kunoichi and the Akatsuki."

Ino's eyes narrowed. "Hey! This concerns us more than you think. Maybe you don't remember, but I was there when your main base was destroyed and Kabuto was killed."

_Ino!_ Shikamaru inwardly sighed. _What a drag…_

The man snorted. "That's hardly any concern of ours. It was the fault of an incompetent leader."

"What? Orochimaru?" Naruto frowned. "Why is he suddenly incompetent? He certainly won't be happy to hear someone say that."

They all began laughing. "You want to know why he's incompetent? It's rather simple, really. He's dead."

Shikamaru, Temari, Ino, and Naruto all paled.

"But…what?" Ino choked out. "Orochimaru is dead?" For some reason that had always seemed impossible. No one could kill Orochimaru, one of the three legendary Sannin. No one.

"It was our new leader. An old Sound shinobi." One of the Jônin laughed. "He decided he didn't want to listen to Orochimaru any longer."

"He just…decided?" Naruto gulped. He remembered Orochimaru in the forest of death. He remembered him all too well. How could someone be so powerful that this man could speak like that about _Orochimaru_? As if it had all been done and over so quickly?

Like squashing a fly.

Shikamaru had almost lost control of the jutsu when he had heard. He blinked a few times, clearing his head. He quickly began assessing the situation. Orochimaru had been killed? That resolved a few problems, but it brought about a few more.

Orochimaru was dead. That meant one threat had been nullified. But what of his successor? What kind of shinobi had the power to kill Orochimaru and take over the Sound village?

"Oh, and by the way." One of the Jônin sneered. "We may not like it, but our new leader says he could care less about Konoha. He doesn't have time to mess with them at the moment. We're not your enemies now."

_Until your new leader decides that he _does_ have time to mess with us. _Shikamaru pondered, though he didn't say it aloud.

"He's probably lying to save his own skin." Temari hissed, although her voice shook. She seemed to be shaken by these last few revelations.

Shikamaru shook his head, breaking the jutsu. "Very well." He nodded.

Naruto suddenly appeared in front of him. "I don't care who the hell you think you are or who the hell you serve." He growled out.

"But if you even think about hurting Sakura-chan, _I will kill you_!"

The Sound shinobi snorted derisively as all of them disappeared. Shikamaru, Ino, Temari, and Naruto merely stayed where they were. In complete silence.

_I have to send a letter to Tsunade. She needs to know about this._

_Man. What a drag._

_I should have known._

_Things can always get worse._

* * *

Deidara walked slowly down the pathway. It was dark now, around nine or ten. The air was chilled and the only light came from the moon, which hung overhead, silently rebuking him for his harsh words to Sakura.

He almost glared up at it, but then he would have felt foolish.

It wasn't as if she had left him with much of a choice.

What would anyone else have done in that situation?

_But Sakura trusted you not to act like everyone else. She expected you to be the one person she could always depend on, yeah_. Deidara continued his walk. _And you blew it big time._

_You both did._

He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked down the little stone path, his sandals crunching the gravel beneath his feet. It was almost completely pitch black outside, and even after his eyes had adjusted, he had to look down at his feet to keep from stumbling.

He wondered why he was even walking this way. He didn't really want to see Sakura again. He didn't think he could do it. He couldn't look at her and believe that it had never meant anything. He'd see her again and he'd remember the way she felt, the way she tasted…the way she had moaned his name right before—

Deidara blinked, his gaze darkening as he turned through the small orchard. The leaves rustled around him in a small gust of wind.

_"What the hell happened?" Kisame roared once more, his hand going to Samehada._

_If Sasori hadn't grabbed his arm with a slightly annoyed sigh, Deidara wondered what would have happened._

"_Let him explain himself, Kisame."_

"_There's nothing to explain, yeah." Deidara had answered back numbly. "Nothing at all."_

_Kisame's hand clenched on his sword and Sasori once again had to hold his arm as he looked back at Deidara, his gaze calculating._

"_Oh?"_

_Deidara hated Sasori's coolness. His calm. He was always so damn unemotional! After all that was happening he was just standing there watching everything with his unfeeling, dark eyes._

_Like Itachi. Never showing anything._

_It was then that Deidara noticed that Itachi was not there. He looked around, and for a moment he wondered if maybe he had left to go find Sakura. _

"_Where's Itachi, yeah?" A simple question to divert the attention from himself._

"_On a mission." Sasori answered back casually, as if they were discussing the weather. "He was just sent. Perhaps you would like to explain Haruno-san's distraught appearance as she ran out of the house?"_

"_WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE DOING IN YOUR ROOM!?!?!?"_

_That was Kisame, of course. There was no casualness, no subtlety. Just pure, raw, anger. At what? Deidara…or Sakura?_

Probably me. Didn't want me messing with his little _kitten_, yeah._ Deidara thought rather wryly as he gave a rueful smile. "Well, I suppose you could say we were sleeping, yeah."_

"_Sleeping…" Kisame dragged the word out, pronouncing each syllable. "Sleeping. HOW NAÏVE DO YOU THINK I AM, BOY!?"_

_Sasori gave another sigh. "Kisame-san, calm yourself. Deidara-san…"He gave him a reproachful look, "Explain _yourself_."_

_Deidara snorted. "I don't think it's any of your business, Sasori-san, or Kisame-san's. Don't butt in."_

"_Like hell it ain't my business little punk!" Kisame ground out. "If you touched a hair on my kitten's head then—"_

"_What, are you her father now, Kisame?" Deidara snapped out. "I guess that explains Sakura's strange obsession with sake, and the way she hurts people when she gets around it, just like you do."_

"_Ah." Sasori nodded. "Now we are getting somewhere. What happened, Deidara? Was Haruno-san intoxicated?"_

"_Yeah." Deidara gave a dry laugh, trying not to show how much it hurt him. "I guess she was."_

"_You got her drunk!?" Kisame raged._

"_Technically, Kisame." Deidara argued with a smirk. "You did. You were the one in there with her, although you were slightly indisposed of, thanks to what looked like twenty three cups of sake—"_

"_I didn't drink sake last night. All I had was some beer." Kisame defended himself. "Well, I had five cups of sake. But the rest must have been…" _

_There was a long moment of silence._

_Kisame whistled._

"Damn,_ my kitten can hold her alcohol that well? She was actually _awake_ enough to have sex?"_

"_Kisame-san, control yourself." Sasori raised one eyebrow. He looked to Deidara. _

"_Perhaps, Deidara, you would like to go and sort these things out with Haruno-san. I think you both need to have a long talk."_

And I'm sure you're an expert on relationships, aren't you?_ He sighed, before he realized that inside of him, something really wanted to go see Sakura. Wanted to look at her and…and hear her voice again. To hug her. Maybe just to hold her hand. That would have been enough. To know that there was more between them than a wall of hurt and betrayal._

_But he couldn't do that. He couldn't allow himself to think such thoughts._

_So instead, he stormed out of the house to think, grateful that the festival in the little village was still going on._

_He heard Kisame and Sasori talking while he was leaving._

"_You'll be needed with Itachi, Kisame."_

"_Hell no! I'm not leaving that punk with my kitten alone! He'll try something again!"_

_He heard a loud sigh from Sasori, but merely shook his head and frowned as he headed down to the village. _

Deidara stopped when he saw her. He was still a good twenty or so feet away, and he didn't believe she had seen him yet. She was sitting on the edge of the wooden bridge over the koi pond, her legs pulled closely to her chest, her arms wrapped around them tightly as she stared ahead. He could only imagine how beautiful her bright green eyes would look in the moonlight.

It wasn't hard to notice her. She was wearing her white sleeping gown, which literally glowed under the moonlight. Her pink tresses seemed to be sparkled with moonbeams. Her pale skin was absolutely flawless.

She looked like a fairy, or a nymph.

An angel.

She looked so detached and innocent. Like she didn't belong in this world filled with hatred and anger and hurt and pain. And Deidara supposed that was true. People like her, people like his Sakura-chan, should never have had to deal with betrayal and pain and suffering.

They deserved happiness, and for the world to be perfect.

That's what she deserved.

He took a few more steps towards her, and she finally seemed to sense him, because she turned her head. His eyes were instantly caught by her's. Those bright green orbs. But there was nothing in them anymore. No love or warmth. It was just empty.

Like she didn't expect anything in return from him anymore.

It was at that moment that there was a large gust of wind, and the pink and white sakura blossoms floated down from the tree behind her, swirling against the pitch black of the night and reflected against the water. Her hair blew in her eyes as she watched him approach.

She was breathtaking.

Deidara stopped a few feet from her, and she turned once again to look down at the water.

Deidara continued standing as he leaned his elbows against the wooden bridge's railing.

…

…

…

"Deidara-san?"

Her voice was soft and a little frightened. Tentative. And she had gone back to 'san'. Deidara missed the 'kun' already, although he didn't say anything. The barrier between them now was almost physical.

"Hai?" He couldn't get himself to say Sakura-_chan_. He wondered if he'd ever be able to do. He doubted it.

"…I'm sorry."

Deidara didn't look down on her, although he felt her searching gaze on him. He gave a small smile as he looked up at the moon and the stars.

"Sakura…"

"Hai?"

"…I think I'm sorry too."

"For what?" Sakura's brows furrowed. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I should have noticed it sooner. I should have asked you before I began assuming that you felt for me what I felt for you."

"I guess I led you on, though." Sakura gave a small sigh. "I didn't mean to. I swore I would never be like my friend Ino and play with men, but I guess I did, unintentionally."

"You didn't know."

"I should have."

"I forgive you."

"Can you?"

Deidara looked down at her, seeing her staring down at her feet. It was a question, something that Sakura was dreading the answer to. She needed to know if there was any possible way for reconciliation. And Deidara knew that. It was in the line of her shoulders, the straight and stiff way she held herself.

He realized that it was easier to read her now. After he had…seen everything, he supposed he could read her body better than most people. He knew how it must look, tensed beneath her flowing gown. And from that he could surmise everything.

It was then that he knew.

They could get through this.

They could still be friends.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she almost jumped at the contact. He forced her to look up at him, and he smiled what he hoped was his old smile. "Hai. I do believe I can, kitten."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Sakura gave a small, half laugh half sob, and it was only then that Deidara saw the tears that had been collecting in her eyes and on her cheeks. "Deidara? It will never be the same, will it?"

"No. I don't think so."

"But we can still be friends, right?"

"Great friends, yeah."

"That's good."

Deidara couldn't help but grin. "You know, friends sometimes have sex together, just to get rid of stress and other things, yeah—" He was too slow to get away as he went headfirst into the koi pond. He sat up and grinned at Sakura, who was raising one eyebrow and frowning.

There was a smile hiding under there somewhere.

"I hope you catch pneumonia." Sakura said archly, her mouth tipping.

"We could share body warmth, yeah."

Sakura let out a small laugh as she held out her hand to help him up. The smile was there, glowing, perfect and happy. "You're getting as bad as Kisame—ohh!!" Sakura shrieked the last part as Deidara pulled her into the water beside him with the free hand she'd offered.

She came up stuttering and shivering, glaring at him, though she smiled. "You baka. This water is _freezing_."

Deidara snickered, standing and shaking the water out of his hair. Sakura stood as well, and they just continued standing there, thigh deep in water.

Deidara's gaze became serious for a moment, as he looked to her. "Sakura…what if you're pregnant? I mean, because I wouldn't abandon you or the baby, even if we weren't together, and I would be sure to take care of you both and we'd be able to work something out and—"

Sakura gave a small smile. "I'm a medical shinobi, Deidara. I would have known. I'm not." _I checked._

"Oh." Deidara answered back. It was strange, but he was slightly disappointed. As an afterthought he said, "I'm sorry."

Sakura looked up at him. "Yeah." She whispered. _I guess…I guess I am too._ It was the truth. She was sort of sorry. She wondered what it felt like, to hold life inside of herself. She'd always wanted to know the feeling. To be a mother. A great mother. She'd always sworn she'd be the best mom in the world.

Sakura grabbed his hand tentatively, as if wondering if maybe that was a bit too much. But he merely squeezed it gently and smiled down at her, although he then let it go. To Sakura, that was still more than what she had hoped for.

"Friends?"

"Friends, yeah."

He and Sakura slowly walked out of the water, heading back to the temple.

"You know, it only seems fitting for you to take a bath with me to make up for all of this. I mean, we're both completely frozen to the bone, and everything _else_, yeah…" Deidara trailed off.

"Deidara." Sakura gave a loud sigh. "I swear, I don't know what to make of you. And that's the truth. _Yeah_."

"Good. I like to keep you guessing, kitten." Deidara smirked.

Sakura smiled up at him as they headed down the little worn path. She'd won back Deidara's forgiveness.

She didn't think she'd ever get back Itachi's.

**(A/N: Hopefully this chapter made up for some of the evilness in the last one. A nice little makeup scene between Deidara and Sakura, I thought. We all know it'll never be the same between them, sigh. Oh well, this leaves it all up to Itachi, though.**

**He better not be an idiot about forgiving her. Of course, it might be a while before he's back. He needs to cool down, I think. Hopefully if Kisame goes with him, he won't do anything stupid. Hehe. That'll be the day.**

**I hope all of you liked the chapter.**

**Oh, and by the way, people can review anonymously now. I didn't even realize I didn't accept anonymous reviews until a few people told me. Man, that just shows how computer inept I am. All I know how to do is put my stories on here. Heh.**

**The next chapter will be nice, I think. No Tomokazu. He'll just ruin it at the moment. The last thing we need is him right now. He's just a big meanie. I wonder how long it will take Neji and the others to catch up with Sasuke? Or for Sasuke to reach Cloud? Oo the suspense is killing me!—and _I'm_ the author! I can only imagine what you guys are going through.**

**Till next time, buh-bye!  
Lady Hanaka**

**One of Life's Greatest Questions (because I couldn't think of a quote at the moment): If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked and dry cleaners depressed?)**


	7. Chapter 6: Home

**Chapter 6 **

**Home**

Neji's palm shot forward, connecting with the man's chest as he twirled around, getting back into his gentle fist fighting stance, waiting. The man grunted and fell to the ground.

"Take that!" Kiba roared out enthusiastically as he and Akamaru went for their fang-over-fang attack. The shinobi they had been fighting landed on the ground a few feet away, and he made no move to rise. "YES!"

"You got the last one, Kiba! Don't hog the fun!" Lee whined as he ran around two enemy shinobi, too fast for them to counter. He kicked the first in the head, sending him flying across the large plateau. He landed with an eruption of dust, skidding to the edge of the small cliff, where he barely managed to stop himself from going over.

Tenten frowned as she and Hinata finished up their last few opponents. "Lee, Kiba, don't act so childish. This is a mission and we have to be serious about it."

"Yeah." Choji agreed as he grabbed another handful of potato chips. He hadn't even joined the fight.

Shino turned to Neji, "My Kikai sense that Uchiha Sasuke is heading north to Deidara's home in stone."

"That makes sense." Tenten piped in. "He'll most likely try and locate a trail the Akatsuki left."

"Che." Kiba snorted. "The Akatsuki won't leave a trail. They're too good for that. Especially too good for _him_. He doesn't even have a rank any more as a ninja."

"Tsunade-dono was very angry with him." Lee agreed. "She stripped him of all his shinobi titles right there while she told us where he was headed."

"I don't remember that, was that before or _after_ she downed her third bottle of sake?" Tenten asked.

"Before." Neji answered back. "Listen, we're getting close. Uchiha Sasuke has disobeyed the orders of the Hokage too many times. He will not be welcomed back to our village. Of that I can assure you."

"D-don't forget that we h-have to b-bring him back alive." Hinata whispered.

"Yeah, yeah." Kiba grunted, frowning. "But what do you suppose is considered dead? I mean, maybe he was just bleeding really bad when we found him and since we didn't have a medical shinobi with us he simply…expired?"

"Nice try." Choji grunted. "I don't think it'll work on the Hokage, though."

"It won't work on _anyone_." Tenten answered back.

"Enough." Neji cut in before they could continue their talk. "We are going to continue after Uchiha Sasuke. This mild delay has wasted enough of our time. Let's go."

"It's not our fault we were ambushed." Kiba muttered. Choji agreed as he bit into another potato chip, before he and Kiba both began running to keep up with Lee and Neji, who were ahead of all of them.

Tenten sidled alongside Hinata as they continued. Hinata hesitantly turned to Tenten and gave a feeble, worried smile. "Tenten-san?"

"Huh?" Tenten raised an eyebrow.

"Do you th-think…do you think that N-Neji will h-hurt Sasuke Uchiha?"

Tenten frowned. "He deserves it, you know. It doesn't matter what Neji does."

Hinata bit her lip. "Oh. R-right." She looked down at the ground until she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She and Tenten both turned to see Shino running alongside them.

He gave a small smile from beneath his collar. "Do not worry, Hinata. Neji will not kill Sasuke Uchiha, and he will not make anyone else do it either. We will follow the directions the Hokage gave us."

"Th-thank you, Shino." Hinata whispered, nodding.

_I just…I don't want to have to kill anyone. Is that so bad?_

* * *

"So, kitten, are you going to finish that?"

Sakura sighed as she pushed her plate towards Kisame. He swiftly grabbed it up, shoveling food into his mouth. She gave a loud sigh as she continued to watch him eat his fifth helping of rice. That man could eat as much as Naruto. He finally seemed satisfied as he put his plate down. Or rather, her plate.

Sakura crossed her legs, sitting Indian-style. She tucked a few of her errant strands of hair behind her ear. It was strange, to be doing normal things like that again. She hadn't really worried about her hair or appearance in years. A shinobi never really cared what they looked like.

She looked down at casual clothing, a t-shirt Kisame had dug out of who-knows-where (and she didn't really _want_ to know) and some tight, short shorts that had probably belonged to a young monk before the temple had been abandoned. Kisame had commented on how it was a good thing 'she was as skinny as a twig, or else nothing would fit her'. Her hair hung loose, coming to her shoulders. They were clothes fit for relaxing in. Comfortable. It made sense, since that's all she was doing.

It seemed so normal to her, to just sit on the porch with them: three members of the Akatsuki. Kisame was stretching his arms and limbering himself up for training. Samehada leaned against the porch next to him.

Deidara was reading a book from where he and Sakura sat back-to-back. He seemed completely engrossed in it, as the pages flipped idly. He shifted, sitting up more fully, pressing his back against Sakura's for support.

Sasori was idly playing shogi by himself. Sakura had offered to play, but after she had won the first few games he had said he'd wanted to 'practice his strategies alone for a while'. Sakura watched him absentmindedly click the pieces down onto the board, his eyes roving across it, thinking of strategies. She supposed he would play a game or two with her in a few days, after he came up with some new ones.

It was a normal afternoon for the four of them.

Sakura began fiddling with the small puppet Sasori had made her. She made it walk back and forth across the porch, stopping in front of Sasori. He looked up from the Shogi board to see the puppet execute a proper little bow, like a perfect geisha. He gave a small smile as he turned to look back at the shogi board.

"A little more control, Sakura, and we can begin working on the mechanisms and traps I placed inside of her for you."

Sakura smiled. "Alright." She leaned back against Deidara, stretching backwards, and straining her eyes to see what page he was on. She was just about to read a sentence when Deidara spotted her and closed the book tightly, a small blush staining his cheeks.

"Oh come on, Deidara, it can't be that bad." Sakura teased. "Let me see the title. It's not like it's Icha Icha Paradise or anything."

"Of course not, yeah!" Deidara seemed mortified at the idea.

"What's wrong with Icha Icha Paradise?" Kisame frowned.

"Some of us can get real women, Kisame. We don't have to read to get something, yeah." Deidara shot back with a sly smile.

"Che. For your information, I did get some. You see, at the festival there was this really hot prostitute and I can tell you I—"

"…didn't get much." Sakura finished in a whisper to Deidara. Deidara broke out laughing and Kisame frowned again.

"What happened then, Kisame?" Sakura asked archly, raising one eyebrow as she looked at him. "Hm?"

"Well…uh…" Kisame rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to think of something. "I don't exactly remember because I was drunk at the time but I bet we had great sex!"

"So great he fell unconscious." Sakura muttered with a mischievous grin at him.

Kisame coughed.

He then raised one eyebrow, his gaze serious. "Alright kitten, I have a question for _you_."

"Shoot." Sakura shrugged her shoulders, looking back at him. Her little geisha continued to do a small little fan dance around the porch.

"When I woke up, Samehada was stuck in the ground. I placed it against the wall. Do you know how it got there?"

Sakura pondered for a few moments, making the geisha doll throw her fan up and then catch it.

"Well, actually I do. You see…I kind of picked Samehada up and used it to kill some strange chakra summonings."

…

…

…

Sakura watched Kisame's face. _Here he goes. He's going to blow his top._

…

…

…

"NANI!??!?!"

Deidara burst into laughter as he saw Kisame's face. "You actually wielded _Samehada_, Sakura?"

"Fascinating." Sasori sounded truly intrigued.

"That's my SWORD!" Kisame raved. "No one uses it but me! It's MINE!" He stopped ranting as he frowned. "Kitten, come over here and try it again."

Sakura slowly stood, letting her puppet go lax. She made her way to where Kisame stood. He picked up Samehada, "Well?"

Sakura stopped in front of him with a sigh. "Listen Kisame, I don't know why Samehada let me wield it but I won't do so again, you don't have to worry about that—" She stopped as Samehada was shoved into her arms.

She stumbled backwards slightly, not used to holding up such a weight. She blinked as she stared down at the sword in her hand. It vibrated slightly, as if it didn't really like it's position, but it did not attack her.

Kisame stared at her, his eyes wide.

Deidara seemed to be catching flies.

Sasori merely smiled to himself before going back to his shogi game.

Kisame then grinned down at her, patting her on the back. "That's my kitten!" Sakura stumbled forward with the force of Kisame's congratulatory 'pat'. She resisted the urge to drop Samehada and rub the sore spot on her shoulder. It probably wouldn't go over well with Kisame or the sword, however, so she merely held it in her arms, staring down at it.

"Well…" Kisame smirked down at her. "Go get your sandals on."

"What for?" Sakura asked as she handed Samehada back to him.

"I'm going to teach you to use Samehada of course!" Kisame spoke as if it were completely obvious.

…

…

…

Sakura, Deidara, and Sasori all blinked.

…

…

…

"What?" All three of them collectively questioned.

Kisame shrugged, his eyes twinkling. "I might as well teach someone. It's not like anyone _else_ can wield Samehada."

"You're actually going to teach her to use that thing, yeah?" Deidara choked out, still dumbfounded. "But you don't let _anyone_ touch Samehada."

"Well, Sasori taught her how to use a puppet. I'm gonna teach my kitten how to use Samehada. It's not like I'm giving it to her or something." He finished quickly.

"Hey!" Deidara frowned. "How come you and Sasori get to teach her new jutsus, yeah? Why can't I teach her one?"

"You can." Sakura turned to him with a smile. "I wouldn't mind learning a few more jutsus."

"Great, yeah!"

"Well wait your turn, Deidara." Kisame cut in. "Right now she's going to train with me, and she trains with Sasori in the evenings."

"Well, then we'll just have to train in the morning." Deidara shrugged with a smile. "That works for me, yeah. What about you Sakura?"

Sakura laughed. "I feel like I'm back in my old Genin squad, except I don't have one sensei and two teammates, I just have three senseis."

"It's still a team of four, though." Deidara smiled.

Sakura nodded, grinning. "Yeah. It is." She slipped on her sandals, tying them with a sigh.

"Alright Kisame. Do your worst."

Kisame smirked at her and Sakura didn't like the evil glint in his eyes.

"Oh I intend to, kitten." He did a jutsu and a fake Samehada appeared in a puff of smoke. He shouldered the real one, patting it. "This little imitation is about the same size." He threw it and Sakura braced herself as she caught it.

"You've been doing arm strengthening exercises since you were younger, right? Otherwise, you'll never be able to wield Samehada."

Sakura stared at the sword in her arms. "I did some exercises." _Probably not as many as I should have done. In my Genin days, I was always afraid I would get ugly, muscled man-arms. _She grinned to herself as she held Samehada's hilt, almost feeling herself duck under the weight.

"This thing has to weigh at least three times as much as I do." Sakura exclaimed as the tip hit the ground, dragging into it. She supposed her adrenaline rush during her battle with Naoyo was the only reason she had been able to pick it up before. It was _heavy._

"You're just too skinny, kitten." Kisame snickered. "We'll start with simple swings. I want you to do one hundred in a row."

Sakura could already feel her arms scream at her, telling her they'd get back at her somehow if she even _thought_ about it. She merely braced herself, locking her arms in place as she lifted the large sword.

* * *

Sakura gave a loud groan as she lowered herself into the hot bath water. She was sore all over. The steaming water of the bath made her muscles relax as she leaned against the back of the tub, sighing.

She slowly slid into the water until it went up to her nose. She gave a small, silent sigh. She couldn't feel her legs or arms. They felt like rubber. Kisame had incessantly drilled her on her swings. The movement was becoming second nature to her.

And what was worse was that she knew that the first day wasn't the hardest. It was probably one of the easier days.

She would hurt like hell in the morning. Kisame had cheerfully pointed this out to her. But Sakura had decided she was going to stick with it and learn as much as she could. Who knew when this would come in handy? It was different than using her strangely acquired 'insane strength' that she'd inherited from her teacher Tsunade.

That was raw force. Wielding the sword was making her focus all that raw force into her arms for long periods of time, not just to grab boulders and hurl one or two. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the rim of the tub as she gave another loud sigh.

When she finished with her bath, she'd have to go and train with Sasori and her little geisha puppet. She didn't want to move. She wondered if it would be so bad to drown in the bathtub.

_I set myself up for all of this. I need to get stronger, and this is a good way to do it. Besides…I need to learn new jutsus. I can't keep up with the Akatsuki with the small amount of them that I know now._

Sakura breathed in deeply before dunking her head. A few seconds later she came back up with a small gasp, brushing the dripping wet hairs out of her eyes. She groaned at the strain even that small little movement did. She felt as if someone had summoned Gamabunta and made him sit on her arms.

There was a knock at the door but Sakura ignored it as she savored her last few moments of peace and quiet.

"Are you almost finished, Haruno-san?" It was Sasori.

Sakura sighed deeply. "Hai. I'll be out in a few moments."

"I will be in the tea room."

"I'll come there when I'm done." Sakura called back, waiting. She heard Sasori's footsteps as he headed down the hallway. Sakura braced her arms on the edge of the tub and pulled herself up with a loud groan.

"Dammit! I wish I could just _die_!" Sakura screamed out in her frustration as her arms screamed in pain.

Suddenly the door flew open and Kisame was standing in front of her.

"Suicide isn't the answer, kitten!"

Sakura stared at him incredulously. Kisame stared back.

There was a long moment of silence.

…

…

…

Kisame grinned, "Damn kitten, you didn't tell me you were stacked."  
Sakura stared at him, and then at her chest that he was blatantly ogling. "Ki…sa…me…" Sakura began, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?!?!?!"

* * *

Kisame moped, frowning as Sakura and Sasori continued their puppet jutsu. He held the icepack to his eye and ignored the bloodied tissue in his nose.

"You didn't have to hit me so hard kitten, I was joking."

"You could have moved out of the way." Sakura called back as she concentrated on the little geisha puppet, making it move through a series of steps as she twirled the small chakra strings with her fingers.

"But that would have ruined it all. I mean, who doesn't want to get beaten senseless by a hot, naked chick?" He winked at her. "You know you liked it."

"Kisame, go jump off of a cliff." Sakura snapped out as she flicked two fingers to the side, making the little puppet pick up a glass and throw the water at the shark-man.

Kisame wiped the water from his face with a frown.

Sasori nodded in approval. "That was a very effective battle move, Haruno-san."

Sakura grinned. "You think so?"

"Ha ha." Kisame stuck his tongue out at them before standing. "I won't stand here and get made fun of. I hope you know this means extra swing practice tomorrow!"

Sakura gave a loud groan. "Can I take it back?"

"Nah." Kisame grinned wickedly. "The damage is already done. Good night!" He waved to the two of them before closing the door behind him.

Sakura sighed. "Well…" She focused her chakra, unlocking one of the mechanisms in the geisha doll's hand: a small poison dart launcher. She made the doll jump into the air, shooting the dart at the wall. It hit the small dot that had been painted on the wall, but it was slightly askew.

"You'll have to learn how much chakra to place inside of it for the desired force." Sasori explained.

Sakura nodded, hiding a yawn with her hand. "Right."

"You're too tired to continue. We shall end for the night."

Sakura nodded, grabbing the small dart from the wall and putting it in her pocket as she held the doll in her arms. "Thanks, Sasori-san." She was already half asleep as she stumbled down the hallway.

She barely managed to stagger into her bedroom, sliding the door open and closing it behind her, eyes already closed. She merely stripped off all of her clothing but her bra and underwear, too tired to actually put on a sleeping gown.

She probed sleepily for the bed, landing on it in an ungraceful heap.

She faintly remembered pulling the covers up over her shoulders, tucking the edge underneath her chin as she felt the warmth encompass her. She felt good. Safe. And even if for just a moment, happy.

Maybe it was because she was so tired. She didn't know. She wondered sometimes why she had stayed. And she supposed she had her answer already.

_For days like today._

Days where she would sit with Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori and merely talk. Share ideas and even, sometimes, she would hear a small tidbit of information about their past. She'd see a glimpse of the real them and she realized that they had probably never opened up to anyone before this.

She felt as if they were one large family, held together by thin, silken bonds. But like a spider's silk, those bonds were stronger and more durable than steel. Perhaps it was because their bonds were so flexible.

It didn't matter. All that mattered was the fact that she felt as if she belonged.

These were the types of days she lived for.

As she began drifting into a tired, contented sleep, she remembered one small thing. A small little detail that could have perhaps ruined the moment, if she were not so exhausted.

_Itachi's coming home tomorrow._

It should have bothered her, and for a moment it did. But the feeling was fleeting and it disappeared before she had even known it existed. Itachi was coming home. That meant one of two things: she could run and hide and pretend that she was angry with him and be just as cold and emotionless as he was; or she could apologize.

She knew it was her fault, and she wanted to make sure that Itachi knew that as well.

_Why am I apologizing to him? Why do I even care what he thinks?_

_It's not like he was actually my boyfriend and I cheated on him._

_Why do I give a damn if he saw me and Deidara together?_

_Why can't I just get to sleep?_

She frowned, pulling one of her pillows down into a hug, opening her eyes to look out at the open window. She saw the flickering lights in the village below. She felt a cold spot on the bed next to her, and she realized why she couldn't sleep, no matter how tired she was.

She was still alone.

It was true she had her friends: Kisame, Sasori, and Deidara. But that was all she had. And sometimes, sometimes she wanted more. Someone to wake up to in the morning. Deidara had offered once, and she had seen how that turned out. How could she do that to him?

She'd merely hurt him again, like she had before. He was like a brother to her and she couldn't lead him on, not when she couldn't get over the strange, enticing allure of Uchiha Itachi.

She couldn't get him off of her mind.

She gave a small sigh as she scrunched her eyes shut, hugging the pillow tightly to her chest. How wonderful would it be, to wake up to Uchiha Itachi holding her in his arms?

She wondered if she'd ever know.

**(A/N: A little short. The next chapter will be MUCH more interesting. After all, Itachi's coming back. And some Tomokazu-y goodness…I don't think there's such a thing. Well, he's going to find out Naoyo's dead. That'll be an interesting little section to write. I'll have fun.**

**So, nothing really exciting in the chapter you just read. It's just kind of there. I hope the next one is better and makes everybody happy! **

**The next one? Well, hehehe…the big fight between Itachi and Deidara has arrived! Woohoo!**

**Guess what? Since it was suggested to me and I thought it would be a good idea, I'm going to write two chapters for Valentine's Day. And maybe…a little love scene? A smidgen of romance between Sakura and Itachi? The perfect V-Day present, ne?**

**Well, I hope everyone enjoys. **

**P.S. I have two things I need to get cleared up: #1:**

**Um…I wanted to say sorry when I didn't put translations for some of the Japanese sayings I put in my story. I'm learning a little Japanese (and hopefully much more from my grandfather (who speaks it almost fluently)) so I guess I figured everyone knew. Guess that's my fault. Sorry! Um, Itadakimasu was the only one I think was in there. It pretty much means: let's eat, or something close to that. You use it before eating. That's probably not the direct translation, so don't hurt me! **

**#2: All right, I'm just going to say it straight out. Two of my reviewers have been on…opposite sides of the spectrum so to speak. I know I can't please everyone and I'm not really trying to. I'm sorry if some of the actions I have made my characters take are unsatisfactory, but that's my decision. –Sigh- and also, just to clear it up in case this will help between the two of you: Itachi is NOT going to just go and sleep with another girl to get back at Sakura. That would be OOC for him, because he would just pretend that Sakura didn't mean anything to him, and pretend that it doesn't matter. So I hope that clears up a few things.**

**I understand if sometimes a person's comments come out a bit 'flamey', and truth is I just don't let it bother me. Ok, now that we've got all of that out…I just want you to know that I do not take offense to anything said here between either of you and I hope you can work this out. I would love it if you would both continue reading and see how this story progresses, because it really will get better. And trust me, there will be more Itachi and Sakura because this IS an Itachi and Sakura fic.**

**One of Life's many Questions: How do the skittle company people know what a rainbow tastes like? **

**(a personal question I have been wanting to know the answer to my entire life! How _do_ they do it!?!?!)**

**Heh. Until next time, **

**Your humble writer, Lady Hanaka)**


	8. Chapter 7: Apologies and Assholes

Disclaimer: Whoops. Every time I update the chapters, I just now noticed that I forgot to put the disclaimer on! My bad. Well, um, I definitely don't own Naruto.

**Chapter 7 **

**Apologies and Assholes**

Tomokazu lounged inside of Orochimaru's old chambers. He chuckled to himself, taking another drink of his wine. He loved wine. The reddish color reminded him of blood, the one thing he loved more than any other.

**_You love me, don't you Tomokazu-chan? _**

Tomokazu's eyes narrowed as the glass stem of the win glass snapped like a twig. He watched the head of the glass fall down to the ground, shattering. The red liquid slowly spread across the cold stone floor. He followed it intently with his eyes.

Just like blood.

How beautiful.

**_Just like me Tomokazu-chan? Do you think _I'm_ pretty? _**

Tomokazu snorted, ignoring his own thoughts. How dare that bitch get back into his head? He didn't need this anymore. He turned around in Orochimaru's throne, propping his feet up on one of the arm's. He gave an agitated sigh as he closed his eyes for a moment.

What did that damn scroll say?

Surely it was important. He knew that pink-haired kunoichi from Konoha could read it. It was one of those things he could sense. He'd read it in her eyes as well, right before he'd left. He hadn't paid it any attention, merely took the box and left.

Tomokazu knew it was about the Uchiha Clan. Could it perhaps tell him Itachi's weakness? Surely that was what it was about. Some flaw of the Sharingan.

How foolish, to write down the Clan's secrets on paper, where someone could get their hands on it. It was one reason why Tomokazu's Clan had never written down anything about their kekkei genkai.

It was actually rather ironic. Their desire for privacy and power was what had gotten them killed.

**_Tomokazu-chan, why can't we tell anyone else in the village about our kekkei genkai? It is that big of a secret? Why won't Sumiyoshi-sama let anyone else know? What will the Kurokage say? _**

Tomokazu glared ahead of him at the blood on the ground.

Damn girl wouldn't get out of his head.

He felt himself drift into all-too-familiar memories.

_Tomokazu, a mere boy of twelve, gave a loud, annoyed sigh as he sat down against the tree trunk. He had finished training for the day, and now he was bored. His mother had said he'd needed to stop or he'd wear himself out._

_"Tomokazu-chan!" _

_Tomokazu looked up to see the young girl, also twelve, run up to him. She smiled, her bright green eyes glowing, although there was something wrong. He could see it, the way her lower lip trembled and the way she fidgeted with the sleeve of her sweater. She always had a habit of doing that when she was nervous._

_"Hai?"_

_The young girl sat down next to him with a sigh. "I just got back from a mission with Sumiyoshi-sama. My kekkei genkai activated itself."_

_"Oh." Tomokazu's eyes narrowed briefly as he looked over his one and only real friend. "You shouldn't be telling me this."_

_"He said I could tell you. Besides, it's not a secret to our Clan. Just the village."_

_"Hn."_

_"Tomokazu-chan?" The girl asked tentatively. "Did it…did it scare you?"_

_Tomokazu turned to her with a small frown. "No. Why?"_

_"When it happened…it scared me, just a little." She whispered, "It's scary, I think. I don't really like it."_

_"Then don't use it." Tomokazu snapped. _

_"Oi." The girl rolled her eyes. "Don't act like that, Tomokazu-chan. I didn't mean it that way. Why are you so edgy?"_

_"I have my first real mission tomorrow."_

_"Real mission? So assassinations aren't real missions?" The girl teased, her trembling smile actually holding._

_A small, secretive smile crossed Tomokazu's lips. "No." _

Tomokazu sat up, sliding out of the chair and heading to the desk in one corner. He sat down in the chair there, opening a scroll. It was a simple jutsu, but he engrossed himself in it, to forget about the next moment. But it came anyway. _Dammit_.

_"T…omokazu…chan…" The girl gasped out, holding her bloodied side. "W-why?" The tears in her bright green eyes shined even in the darkness._

_Tomokazu gave an impatient sigh. The kind he always gave. "Because you're in my way."_

_"What?"_

_"All of you." Tomokazu's eyes narrowed. "You're holding me back. You're ruining my chance to be the greatest."_

_"What…do you…mean?" She seemed to be having trouble staying conscious._

_Tomokazu chuckled darkly as he leaned against the tree trunk. The same one as the day before. He watched her with a scornful glance. "Our Clan's kekkei genkai. Yours, Sumiyoshi-sama's, my mothers. You're holding me back. I cannot be great if others have my power."_

_"How…how can you be so…cruel?" She gasped out, coughing up blood. "You killed all of them…why? To be the strongest? You were always the strongest."_

_Tomokazu scoffed, "Stop being stupid, Masako-chan. You were merely a hindrance. Always a hindrance."_

_"But…we…" The girl's eyes filled with even more tears. "What about…?"  
"It was nothing." Tomokazu shrugged. "You never meant more to me than anyone else in my life, Masako. A barrier. A hurtle to be jumped over and left behind in the dust. I passed you and now you mean nothing. Is that so hard to grasp?"_

_He bent down next to her, grinning maliciously, "That mission I was being sent on? It wasn't given to me by Sumiyoshi-sama. It was my own mission. To kill all of you…"_

_The girl's eyes slowly began closing, as she slumped forward._

_"I…I always…"_

_He began walking away, listening to her last dying breaths._

_"…loved you…tomo…kazu…chan…"_

Tomokazu couldn't help but give a small, dark chuckle. How stupid could Masako have been? He didn't need love. He didn't need friends. The only thing he needed was power.

But still, it irked him.

The resemblance.

That damned pink-haired kunoichi with her bright green eyes the same as Masako's. That bubbly personality, the hidden strength. If it weren't for the difference in hair color, he would have sworn she had come back from the dead to haunt him. They even wore their hair the same length. Both liked yukatas and slacks instead of kimonos.

And just like Masako, she was holding him back from his true power. Not with her kekkei genkai.

With the scroll she had stolen from him.

Sakura Haruno was getting underneath his skin and on his nerves.

Such annoyances were best dealt with quickly and efficiently.

"Tomokazu-sama!"

Tomokazu turned around with an air of boredom as five sound Jônin walked into his room.

"What?" His eyes narrowed dangerously, and they all cringed. This man had killed Orochimaru after all.

"It seems…master…" One of them began, swallowing hard.

"Naoyo-san's body was found in a village in Cloud. She was killed with a large wound to the stomach area. Almost as if someone had used a chakra-filled punch, but only the Sannin Tsunade can concentrate chakra like that…"

Tomokazu froze for a moment, but it passed quickly as he nodded slowly. "Very well."

"That's…all?" One of them asked hesitantly. Another glared at his fellow sound shinobi, silencing him.

"Of course, master. We will leave you now."

Tomokazu waited for them to leave. He merely sat back down in his chair, musing. So, Naoyo was dead. It must have been Sakura Haruno who killed her. How interesting.

That meant that Naoyo's child was dead as well.

Tomokazu had known about it long before Naoyo had. He gave a small, cold smile.

At least he didn't have to kill the child himself now.

Like shooting two birds with one stone.

He gave another laugh, his gaze almost insane as he pondered the options now open to him. It was glorious.

No one would ever gain his kekkei genkai. Not even his child. It was his secret and his alone.

He had murdered his entire Clan to keep it for himself. What was one more?

* * *

Sakura sat in her room at her small desk, her small jewelry pouch in front of her. She had finished her training with Deidara already. Her fingers itched from all of the explosives and molding of clay she had had to do. She had finally managed to get all the clay out from beneath her fingers.

Kisame had said he didn't want to train that day. That was better for her, she supposed. After all, she wanted to make herself look presentable.

Itachi was coming home.

Sakura placed on a necklace that Neji had given her for Valentine's Day: a lotus flower carved in sapphire on a silver chain, with white gold leaves. She touched it with a smile, remembering the time when Neji had given it to her, placing it beneath her pillow with a small note that had made her smile:

_Happy Valentine's Day, Haruno-san._

_I didn't want to get you chocolates, because they would have made you fat. Shinobi do not need to indulge in such things._

_Do not forget about training tomorrow morning._

It had been so simple and rather insulting if she really thought about it. That merely made her smile to herself even more. Neji hadn't meant it like that. It was just a simple note. But it had held so much more. Neji hadn't gotten a gift for anyone else.

_Just like with Deidara, why didn't I see it for what it really was? Why did I think that we were only friends? I should have realized that I was leading him on as well_…Sakura bit her lip as she twisted her hair atop her head in a knot.

She gave a small sigh, as she looked at herself in her small mirror. She wondered why she was even trying. She didn't truly believe that the difference in her appearance would help to soothe Itachi's hurt.

Why did she give a damn if she hurt him!?

Sakura frowned as she bit down on the bobby pin she held in her mouth. A second one was already in her hair, holding it tightly in place, just in case she wanted to train later on that night.

_Its just Itachi. I don't care if he saw me. _

He should have waited for an explanation! 

_Why, he's the mighty _Uchiha Itachi_ after all. _

That idiot, making me worry like this. What's wrong with me? 

Sakura took the pin out of her mouth, placing it in her hair as well. She breathed in deeply, smoothing the edges of her yukata. The one he had gotten for her. She wondered if he'd even notice.

Or care.

…

"Itachi! You're back!"

…

Sakura bit her lip, taking another large breath. It didn't work very well, her throat was dry and her hands shook slightly. She didn't think she could actually confront him. She was thankful that Deidara was out at the village, trying to get some more information about the woman who had attacked Kisame and herself.

She calmed her shot nerves, standing up stiffly and heading out of her room. She stopped at the door, unsure if she should go outside.

…

"Guess what? You'll never believe what our little kitten can do now. She's wielding Samehada!"

…

Sakura frowned. Why did Kisame have to bring her into the conversation? She slid the door open, walking outside as she headed down the hallway to the kitchen, where she could hear Kisame speaking.

* * *

Itachi took a sip of his tea. Sasori sat beside him, as calm and collected as ever. Kisame was rattling off about something Sakura had done.

_Wielding Samehada, that's interesting._

_If I cared._

Itachi mentally prepared himself as he heard Sakura's footsteps. He was only grateful that Deidara was not there. If he had been…perhaps Itachi would have had to talk with him.

_He touched what was mine._

_I warned him not to. _Another voice then snickered, _no, you didn't. You just expected him to know that he couldn't touch what you thought you owned._

Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly, and his lips thinned in irritation. This was the only emotion he allowed himself to show, however, as the door slid open and she walked inside.

"Good morning, Sasori-san, Kisame, Itachi-san."

The first thing he noticed was that she wore the yukata he had gotten for her. The Akatsuki clouds on the obi were as red as his Sharingan. She wore her hair up, tied back in a graceful knot. It looked good, with her bangs framing her face.

Her pale face seemed worried, and her emerald eyes flickered with uncertainty. She sat down next to Sasori, smoothing the edge of her kimono. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear she looked down at her cup of tea.

"Good morning Haruno-san." Sasori answered back, feeling the tension that had entered the room the moment the pink-haired kunoichi had. He had known this would happen soon. "We will continue our puppet lessons tonight. I must go and see if Deidara has found anything." _It would be best to let them deal with this now. If Sakura does not heal his eyes, Leader will not be happy._

He stood, shooting a glance at Kisame, who was downing a glass of sake. _This early?_ He gave a small sigh. "Kisame-san, let us go."

"Why do I have to come?" Kisame asked innocently, completely unaware of the uncomfortable air of the room.

"You are the only one besides Haruno-san who knows what the woman looked like. You will be needed to identify any pictures of her."

Kisame sighed with a frown. "Ok…"

He and Sasori left the room.

Sakura almost winced as she heard the door close. Itachi remained calm, sipping his tea with an air of aloofness.

_How can he act so cool and calm?_

"Itachi?" _Dammit! Use 'san'!_

…

"I wanted…um…" Sakura began fiddling with the sleeve of her yukata. "How are your eyes?" _Great one, Sakura._

"Hn."

"That's…that's good." Sakura whispered back, biting her lip. She didn't know what else to say. He wasn't making this easy. "I…I wanted to explain about that…night." She then began quickly, "I'm not trying to make an excuse, really. I just want you to hear me out…"

_It sounds like you're tryin to make excuses already._

_Hurry, before he leaves!  
_…

"You see I…I was drunk."

Itachi looked up at her, his face impassive. _She was drunk? She never gets drunk, except that one time when she was trying to escape, and then it was all an act. Surely she doesn't think I would believe that?_

Sakura continued, not looking at him. "I didn't know what I was doing, but it's not Deidara's fault either," She amended quickly before talking once more, "I don't think either of us were in our right senses. I just…I just wanted you to know that."

…

Sakura looked at him, frustrated tears in her eyes now, though they did not fall. "Why won't you just say something!? I'm sorry, alright!?"

Itachi looked up at her, and for a moment it struck him how strange and innocent she looked. So out of place. She looked as if she were breaking in two. For a moment it worried him, her fragility. But in the next moment he was once again himself.

"I am not your father, nor your husband. I do not care what you do." He stood, his eyes bright red, the only thing that showed the fact that he actually _did_ care.

"Itachi—"

"Whoever gave you the impression that I did, was wrong." _They were completely right, and that's what bothers me. I shouldn't care at all._

Sakura gave a loud agitated sigh. "Itachi will you just listen to me? You're acting like an immature, spoiled little child—"

Once again, Sakura found herself pinned against the wall. Like that moment so long ago in Rain, when she had uttered words much like these. She was pressed against the wood, and for a moment panic ran through her, but it disappeared.

He was touching her.

She'd forgotten what it felt like. She almost gave a rueful laugh. The only time she could get him to touch her now was if they were fighting.

Itachi almost let out a small groan. The feeling of her pressed against him reminded him of those times before. The times when she had eagerly accepted his kiss. And it angered him that he was still having those thoughts.

She shuddered against him, and Itachi wondered if perhaps she was having much of the same thoughts. He merely answered her back. "You will heal my eyes tonight. And then you will leave."

Sakura's eyes widened as he let go of her, and she slowly pushed herself off of the wall, numb. She looked up at him, not sure if she had heard him correctly.

"Leave?"

Itachi was already walking to the door.

Sakura acted on instinct. "Please don't go! I'll tell you what's in the scroll!"

Itachi's back stiffened slightly as he looked back at her over his shoulder.

"I don't care." _I care more than I should. That's why you must leave._

Sakura blinked again as the door closed behind her. She absently sat down, leaning her elbows on the tea table. She stared down at her hands, which shook.

_Leave for Konoha?_

_He wants me gone?_

_…I was right. He only wants me to heal his eyes._

_…how could I have been so stupid?_

_Sasuke…what have I done?_

Sakura's shoulder shook, but no tears came. She was too torn for tears. Her wide eyes merely stared into the teacup, seeing the liquid ripple and splash as her shaking jarred the table.

_…he wants me gone…he wants me gone…he wants me gone…_

_Nonononononononononono…_

_…gone…gone…gone…_

* * *

Deidara, Kisame, and Sasori began walking back up the road to the Akatsuki temple. They hadn't found out anything at all. The villagers were afraid of them now. They didn't want to have anything to do with these strange, cloud cloaked shinobi.

Deidara gave a loud sigh. "This trail is too long, yeah."

_I wonder how Sakura is holding up with Itachi._

_Probably not very well, yeah. She really did love him._

_And he likes her, no matter how hard he tries not to show it._

_Jealous?_

Deidara shrugged, grunting in answer to his own question.

_I don't really deserve her, that's for sure. _

_I can feel it, even if she tries to hide it. She's still not entirely comfortable with me anymore. She doesn't know what happened that night and…it scares her, yeah._

_She's afraid of me._

Deidara's eyes grew sad.

_But I still deserve her more than Itachi, yeah._

Kisame grinned as he saw that Deidara was moping. _Pining over my kitten? _He couldn't help but give a laugh as he thought about it. _Serves him right._

"Hey Deidara, what's on your mind?"

"Hm?"

"Let me guess. It has pink hair, green eyes, and a tendency to break things when it gets angry?"

Deidara looked up at Kisame with an annoyed frown. "What's it to you, yeah?"

"Well, don't think about touching her again, Deidara. My kitten deserves better."

"Are you her father now, or something?" Deidara raised one eyebrow.

Kisame resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "All I'm saying is that she doesn't like you like that. It was all drink."

Deidara frowned even more. _I knew that, you idiot._

"And if you try and rape her like Itachi did I'll—"

Deidara stopped moving. He was paler than usual and he stared blindly at Kisame and Sasori.

Kisame looked back at him in confusion. "What's your problem?"

Sasori had caught it, and he knew what was going through Deidara's mind. _That was smart of you, Kisame. It's not as if Deidara would get _angry_ when he found out that Itachi raped Sakura._

He resisted the urge to sigh.

_This is all too much. I actually want a drink._

"He…what?" Deidara ground out, eyes narrowing. "Itachi did _what_?"

"Oh, it was a long time ago, when the kitten first got here." Kisame shrugged, continuing. "I don't think you and Sasori were there that night. Either that or you were already asleep."

Deidara stared down at the ground. Itachi had raped Sakura and he hadn't done anything? He'd thought it was just another one of the informants that Itachi was torturing. Someone to get information out of.

The one who had screamed that night…was Sakura?

Deidara's hands clenched as his eyes narrowed murderously.

Sasori saw it and gave a small groan of annoyance. He didn't need to deal with this now.

"He…raped…her…yeah?" Deidara's words were clipped and disjointed. Itachi deserved to die. Sakura was in love with the man who had raped her? Deidara almost paled. They were alone. What if Itachi tried to rape her again?

He didn't stop to explain to the others as he rushed towards the temple.

"What's his problem?" Kisame asked with a frown.

Sasori rubbed his temples. Even though it wasn't possible, he felt as if he were getting a headache. Why couldn't things have just cooled down for once?

"Let's go, Kisame." Sasori gave a small sigh as he ran after Deidara. Kisame appeared beside him, still asking him what was wrong as they sped towards the temple.

**_

* * *

_**

**_"You will heal my eyes tonight. And then you will leave."_**

Sakura sat down on her bed, angry tears running down her cheeks. "Who the hell gave him the right to tell me what to do!?"

She wiped the tears away with a shaking hand as she gritted her teeth in frustration. "That bastard…that inconsiderate bastard…"

…

"Itachi! You bastard! Get out here now, yeah!"

…

Sakura blinked, hearing Deidara's voice. It was different though. Full of anger and fury. The voice of someone Sakura didn't know. She didn't think she liked it.

_What's gotten him so worked up? What's wrong?_

Sakura hurriedly stood, opening her door and rushing down the hallway. She stopped in the hall, where Deidara was standing and glaring at Itachi, who had just walked out of his own room.

"You bastard!" Deidara seethed. "How dare you do that, yeah?"

…

"You had no right…to touch her…to do anything to her…"

Sakura's brows furrowed. _Touch who?_ She continued to watch, seeing Itachi as emotionless as ever. Deidara was far from it.

"Hn."

"Don't act like that, Itachi." Deidara's eyes narrowed as he spoke through clenched teeth. "I can't believe you. You _raped_ her!?"  
Sakura paled slightly, suddenly realizing just whom it was Deidara was talking about.

"Jealous?"

But how could he have found out? _Kisame, you idiot!_

Sakura bit her lip as memories of that night slowly resurfaced. Her cheeks flooded with heat as she realized that now Deidara knew about it as well. _Jealous_? That's all Itachi could say, taunting her with it! The bastard. And now Deidara knew…

Itachi's eyes narrowed in return, and a small smirk crossed his face.

Deidara let out a growl in the back of his throat.

Sakura merely steamed. What right did Itachi have to throw Sakura's rape in Deidara's face? Or bring it up at all for that matter?

Suddenly Deidara's fist shot forward. The crack echoed throughout the room. Sakura stared, dumbfounded, as Deidara brought his hand back. Itachi brought a hand up to his now broken nose, ignoring the blood as he glared at Deidara, his face still emotionless.

"Why should I be, yeah?" Deidara gave a snide smile of his own, massaging his knuckles. "I didn't have to tie Sakura up for her to sleep with _me_."

Sakura's eyes widened._ How DARE Deidara say something like that! _

Itachi's hands clenched.

"What's wrong Itachi?" Deidara gave a smile worthy of Tomokazu.

…

…

…

"Jealous?"

Itachi lunged, catching Deidara off-guard. Deidara barely managed to jump out of the way. He landed on his feet a little ways off, smiling to himself. _I've finally got him mad, yeah. Good._

Itachi watched him as he twiddled with the kunai between his fingers.

Deidara's eyes suddenly became wide as he saw three long, blonde hairs fall to the ground. He hadn't gotten away as quickly as he had thought. His smile faded as his eyes narrowed and he got into a fighting stance.

There was a small moment of silence as they both stared at each other.

Sakura blinked and both figures disappeared, before they reappeared on the other side of the room, dodging and blocking one another.

_What the hell are they doing? What are they fighting about?_

_This isn't like either of them. They're out of control. _

Itachi's foot connected with Deidara's stomach, sending him flying across the room. He flipped in midair, landing on his toes as he skidded to a halt, before heading straight back at Itachi. He didn't even seem to be affected by the hit as he reached inside of his cloak.

Sakura paled. _His birds!_

Itachi did a few rapid hand signs as the explosive-filled bird shot towards him, "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu." Five fireballs shot towards the bird, twirling together to make one large one right before they hit.

They met in midair, exploding with such a large force that Sakura had to put her hands up and dig her heels into the ground.

She blinked, eyes watering as the dust flew through the air around her. As soon as it settled, she noticed two things.

One: Itachi and Deidara were nowhere to be found. Two: they no longer had a kitchen.

She hurriedly ran out into the open courtyard—which was now only a few feet from her—and saw that Itachi and Deidara were still fighting.

Deidara breathed in deeply, wiping the blood from his lip. He flicked it onto the ground with a grin. "I've wanted to do this for a long time, yeah. Sakura deserves better than you."

"Someone like you, perhaps?" Itachi's voice was cold and scornful as he threw three kunai at Deidara. Deidara dodged, but he had to put up a small shield of earth to block the other kunai hidden in the shadow of the first three.

Deidara did a few hand signs as he sunk into the earth.

Itachi scanned the area, eyes narrowed. "Why don't you answer me, Deidara?" _Talk and give away your position._

No response.

Itachi assessed the situation, one hand placed inside of his cloak. He decided a bit of goading was needed. He knew just what to do.

"It seems, however, that the only way you can get Sakura to sleep with _you_ is after getting her drunk. At least I'm not hiding the fact that I raped her like yourself."

Deidara's hand erupted from the ground, reaching for Itachi's ankle. He grabbed a hold of him, pulling him down into the earth. Deidara slowly slid out of the ground, looking down at Itachi who was now trapped.

He shot his leg forward, connecting with Itachi's head. His neck snapped back—and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Deidara cursed as he put his hands up, blocking an oncoming attack from the real Itachi. They skidded to a halt as Deidara grabbed a hold of his leg, twisting him around and throwing him across the clearing.

Itachi twisted in the air, throwing five kunai at Deidara before he landed on a tree limb, Sharingan blazing.

Deidara dodged four of them, but the fifth ripped into his right shoulder. He gave a grunt as he placed a hand to the wound.

Sakura was too shocked to do anything. She merely stayed rooted to her spot, watching.

Deidara wrenched the bloodied kunai from his shoulder, gripping it in crimson-stained hands. He did a few hand signs, smearing the blood into a clay bird he was making.

"It's a special jutsu I created, yeah. It locks onto the only other blood it can smell in the area besides the one it's made out of. Try getting rid of this thing, yeah."

The bird shot forward, weaving through the tree limbs as Itachi dodged it.

Sakura tried to follow it with her eyes, but seeing the bird and Itachi whip through branches was making her slightly dizzy. She took a step backwards and tripped. She gave a small yelp as she threw her hands backwards to stop her fall. They scratched against the rough ground and she felt a few rocks dig into her palms, breaking the skin.

Sakura paled as she looked down at her hands, seeing the blood well up in tiny drops. _Oh god. That bird…_

Itachi began a sequence of hand signs, but stopped when the bird changed direction and left him, heading in the other direction. He stopped to ponder this only for a small moment before he lunged once more at Deidara.

Sakura hurriedly jumped up, as she realized that the bird had caught scent of her blood. She gave a small growl as she flipped backwards, hearing the sound of its flapping wings as it came after her.

Dammit, she didn't know many fire jutsus. The ones she did know, made her actually have physical contact with her enemy. That meant touching the bird to set off the explosions.

Sakura didn't feel much like committing suicide at the moment.

"Sakura-chan!"

_Oh shut up, Deidara, this is all your fault!_ Sakura yelled out silently as she landed on a tree limb, dodging the bird once more. She caught a glimpse of Deidara heading towards her, before Itachi cut him off.

_Well, no room for a knight in shining armor here. Guess I can't be the damsel in distress this time._ _Thanks Itachi. All you Uchihas are the same, not letting anything else get in the way of whatever you deem your 'sacred mission'. _Sakura thought wryly as she lunged to the left, hitting the next tree limb with her hands, grabbing a hold of it as she twisted around and the bird zoomed passed her ear. She was surprised she had any humor at the moment.

Sakura cursed Deidara's efficiency in this new jutsu as she jumped back into the clearing where Itachi and Deidara continued to fight. She turned around, seeing the bird shoot out of the trees at her. _Why couldn't that bird have just hit a tree and exploded already?_

_I can barely track its movements to dodge it, let alone hit it with one of my attacks! I'd need the Sharingan or Byakugan for that._

Sakura blinked, before her eyes narrowed. _Now or never._ She smeared the blood from her palms onto both thumbs, doing a stream of rapid hand signs. She felt the chakra surge through the blood on her fingertips as she placed her thumbs over her eyes.

_I hope this works. And I hope I made the last few seals correctly!_

Chakra shot from the blood to her closed eyelids, flowing underneath them and swirling around inside of her. She had to force her eyes to remain shut as pinpricks of pain dotted her irises.

She opened her eyes and for a moment, she couldn't see. She blinked, but all that showed as darkness. _That scroll…what did it do!? This isn't what it said would happen. Maybe…what if I did it wrong!?  
_Then she blinked once more and she could see. She jumped to the side, eyes wide in surprise. She could see.

She could see _everything_.

Her hands moved quickly now, faster than ever before as she felt the chakra surge into her hand. It was a special jutsu, one that only a few people knew. Two besides herself, she believed.

The sound of chirping birds filled the air as she clenched her fingers, the chakra rushing around them.

Kakashi had been kind enough to teach _two_ of his students the Chidori.

She rushed towards the bird, eyes blazing. _I can move away before the initial blast hits me. That's the only way I can get rid of this damned thing…wait…now!  
_Sakura shot backwards as the chakra from the Chidori grazed the bird, making it explode. Sakura felt the heat waves roll off of the explosion, and the force threw her backwards. She landed on her feet, but she was pushed against a tree, which slammed into her back. She was merely lucky she hadn't been caught in the actual explosion, which would have burned the skin from her bones. Her hair fell around her and she only then noticed that it had come out of its hair-tie.

She let out a small grunt of pain as the dust filled the air around her. That bomb was larger than any of the others she had seen Deidara use. She blinked again, feeling the pain begin to surface once more. She wasn't used to focusing so much chakra into her eyes.

She slowly let it fade away, and her own vision returned. She realized why Itachi always wore his Sharingan. She felt as if she were now blind.

The green of the trees was dull and lackluster. The sky didn't seem as blue. The dirt was duller than ever before. For a moment, Sakura wished she had looked at Itachi with those eyes. What would she have seen?

She breathed in deeply as she turned her normal, emerald green eyes toward the fight between Itachi and Deidara, which was still going on.

Apparently they had just gone in for a few hits, because when she went back to watch their battle, they were jumping away from a large crater in the middle of the clearing.

"Had enough, yeah?" Deidara was breathing heavily, smirking at Itachi as if he had the upper hand.

"Hn."

"She's always deserved better than you, Itachi. Sakura deserves so much more."

Sakura merely continued to watch them. _Like you, Deidara? What do you mean? What do I deserve?_

"I've been waiting for this for a long time. You have no idea, yeah." _You didn't even realize it, but we've been rivals. Both fighting over Sakura's heart, yeah. I know I can't win her back, but I swear I'll make sure she gets someone better than you._

"Hn."

"You can't tell me you haven't wanted to fight me, yeah."

Sakura blinked.

_Sasuke and Naruto stood on the top of the hospital roof. The white blankets hung up on the clotheslines flapped in the wind. It made it hard to see them. She could barely make out their figures in the distance. _

"_You can't tell me you haven't wanted to fight me, Naruto." Sasuke watched him seriously._

_Naruto smiled boyishly. "I've wanted to fight you for a long time. So let's do it. A real fight, to see which one of us is stronger. Believe it."_

_Sasuke gave a small smirk. "Don't be an idiot, Naruto." _

Deidara collected clay into his hands. Instead of making something out of it, however, he merely molded it over his arms.

Sakura blinked. If he touched Itachi, Deidara's arms would explode on contact. There would be no way to dodge them, if they touched him. "This is a fair fight now. To see which one of us is stronger, yeah." _To see which one of us deserves Sakura more._

"You will die." Itachi spoke in his monotone as he did a few hand signs. Chakra collected in his hand, burning brightly before it became red and orange flames, curling around his fingertips. _This was never a fair fight, Deidara. I've always been stronger._

Sakura watched in growing horror.

_Sasuke breathed in deeply, placing his hand down as blue and white chakra crackled in his palm, filling the air around him with burning energy. Chidori. "This is it, Naruto."_

_Naruto grinned at him, his own hand filling with spiraling wind. Rasengan._

"_Come on, Sasuke. I'm waiting."_

_Sakura watched them from behind the white walls of the sheets. Her heart stopped. Her lungs closed. Her eyes widened. Time stopped._

_They lunged. _

"Oh my god." Sakura whispered, just as Itachi and Deidara shot forward. Memories were flooding her mind, blinding her.

_Sakura shot through the clothes, pushing the white sheets aside as she ran. "NO!" _

She reacted on instinct, jumping to her feet.

_Not fast enough. She would never make it in time. They just continued running at each other. The Chidori and the Rasengan glowed in the half-light. _

"Stop it!" Sakura yelled out, but the sounds stuck in her throat as she cursed them both for their foolishness. She tried to gather chakra into her palms, in an attempt to use a jutsu to stop the two of them.

_"Naruto! Sasuke! Stop it! NO!" _

"Deidara! Itachi! Stop it now!" Sakura had always sworn she would be strong enough to stop this from ever happening again. She would stop them. She would protect the ones she loved.

She would live her ninja way.

_Sakura felt the heat from their attacks as she neared them. She saw their eyes widen as they spotted her. She saw the panic and the fear and the realization that she was too late to stop them. _

Sakura felt the chakra in her palms flicker and die, replaced with a new heat, as Itachi's flames and Deidara's explosives inched closer and closer.

Once again, as she appeared between these two, the realization donned in their eyes. She saw it. The panic, the fear in Deidara's, as he seemed to try and stop, but it was too late.

The flicker of something she almost didn't recognize in Itachi's, as his hand clenched and she saw him instinctively try and stop the jutsu.

_"SAKURA!" _

"Sakura!"

Once again, too late. Too weak. She'd spent her entire life training to be strong enough to stop her friends from hurting one another. To keep this from ever happening again.

Too late…too late…

_Sakura pulled her arms over her head, shielding her face as she waited for the inevitable. She clenched her eyes shut and gave a scream. _

Sakura breathed in deeply, ignoring the fear the rushed through her. There was nothing she could do. There was no use in panicking.

_Blinding, blistering heat. She felt for a moment as if her arms were on fire._

_Then it stopped._

_Sasuke and Naruto flew across the rooftop, slamming into the wall and ground._

"_That was foolish of you Sakura. You could have been killed."_

_Sakura blinked and looked up, seeing the green Jônin vest of her sensei, Kakashi._

_He'd saved her._

_Not Sasuke. Not Naruto._

_They hadn't cared. They'd continued to run at each other. They hadn't stopped. She would have died. _

Sakura blinked once again, as she saw Deidara and Itachi fly across the clearing.

"Haruno-san, that was a rather idiotic move. If you had been seriously injured there would have been no medic-nin to heal you."

Deidara and Itachi flipped in the air and landed on their feet.

Standing in front of her was a billowing, black cloak with crimson clouds, not a green Jônin vest. Light hair, just like Kakashi's, but different.

Sasori straightened as he turned to look at her.

He'd saved her.

Not Itachi. Not Deidara.

They hadn't care. They'd continued to run at each other. They hadn't stopped. …she would have died.

Sakura felt sick and angry, all at one time. She blinked, trying to ignore the fact that her heart was beating too fast for her to even count.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Kisame roared from other side of the clearing, where he and Sasori had come from. "What were you two doing?"

"I would like to ask the same question." Sasori spoke up as well, turning to look at them as he gave them both an agitated, annoyed look. As if he were merely stopping a childish fight over a small toy.

Sakura breathed in a ragged breath, making everyone turn. She glared at Deidara and Itachi, emerald eyes glittering. She forced herself not to cry, even if she felt like doing so. Those last few minutes…the similarities…she couldn't stand it. She needed to find a release.

"How…dare…you?" Her hands clenched as she exhaled from between clenched teeth, almost hissing.

"You two…talking like that…how DARE you!?" She finally yelled out. Deidara flinched, Itachi remained emotionless.

"I'm not some whore to be talked about or passed around!" Sakura shrieked. "And I'm not some possession you can take out and use when you want to, so stop talking about me like I _am_! You're both—" She whirled around, back erect and hands clenched.

"—bastards!"

She breathed in deeply again. Deidara expected to see tears, but there were none. Instead, her eyes were hard, like jewels. Cold and beautiful. The eyes he had seen behind her ANBU mask the first time he had met her.

"I don't even know why I'm staying here, to tell you the truth." She gave a soft, dry laugh as she shook her head. "I really don't know why." Then she disappeared into the air.

There was a long moment of silence.

…

…

…

"…what just happened?" Kisame finally asked.

Itachi merely snorted, walking back into his room and closing the door behind him. Deidara was too stunned to protest. He hadn't meant anything by it…he hadn't meant…

Sasori gave another loud, agitated sigh. "I do believe Haruno-san left."

_And I can honestly say I don't blame her._

**(A/N: So? Did everybody like the fight scene? Sorry it couldn't be completely finished, but let's face it: Itachi would have killed Deidara. That would not be good. And now Sakura's gotten pissed and finally left. Geeze, if it were me, I would have left AGES ago. The 'Sakura running in the middle of the battle' might be a little cliché, but it fit the scene, since that's what she did when Sasuke and Naruto fought. I hope everyone liked the little 'Sasuke vs. Naruto' 'Itachi vs. Deidara' transition.**

**Next chapter? Why, an Itachi/Sakura moment of course! I know its weird to think of that right after this large battle, but it will actually happen—and make sense. Hm. Now that you've all gotten a taste of the scroll, what do you think? Let me tell you, however, it's not done yet! The scroll does a lot more. Oh so much more…hehehehe…**

**How did you like the little Tomokazu 'childhood flashback' scene? Yeah, he wasn't a very nice little boy. But technically, if you knew his story, you'd feel a little sorry for him. (I might just write a small little fanfic later on about Tomokazu's life before he joins Akatsuki. That would be fun …IF I had nothing else to do) But he wasn't very nice when he said that about poor Naoyo! She might have been a hoe, but hoes have feelings too. Tomokazu is not a nice guy at all.**

**Well, anyway, I hope you all liked it. This next chapter is part two of the Valentine's Day special! Yay!**

**Until next time, **

**Lady Hanaka is off again!**

**Life Question: If cocaine were legal, would they sell it in little packages like Sweet N' Low? Would they call it Sweet N' High?**

**P.S. ItachiISHot, instead of putting the answers to your questions here, I will hopefully find the time to post them in my profile, along with the quotes and sayings you wanted. I don't know when I can get them up, but I'll try my hardest to get them up soon.)**


	9. Chapter 8: The Value of Truth

Disclaimer: Yay! I remembered it. Um. Nope. I still don't own Naruto. One day, perhaps! First Naruto, then the world! My plans for total world domination are slowly coming into play. Heh.

**Chapter 8**

**The Value of Truth**

Sakura breathed in deeply as she landed in the clearing. She wondered if they would come for her. In truth, she did not care. She merely sat down in the middle of the grass, closing her eyes as she began searching for any chakra traces around her.

If they came, then she would not be caught unaware.

She opened her eyes once more, thinking of the scroll that Itachi now held.

Now, she would no longer need it. She had already reread the entire thing, committing it to memory. It was simple enough to do. But oh, so complicated to perform.

How strange, that Sakura was the one to have found the scroll. The only one who could read it.

It was rather ironic. The once-weakest kunoichi in all of Konoha had found the one jutsu that could make her the most powerful shinobi in the world. But she didn't want strength.

She wanted something else.

She gave a sigh as she did a quick jutsu with the last remaining vestiges of her chakra. Not much was left. The scroll's jutsu had taken out almost all of her chakra reserves. It had even tapped into her life energy, which she didn't know could happen.

It healed the scrapes on her hands from her fall, and it eased the soreness in her back from when she had slammed into the tree. She'd need to regain more of her chakra if she were to continue her journey. She was all out at the moment.

A minor setback.

Sakura gave a small laugh. It was a funny time to be thinking about the future. A future that now seemed too grim and dark. She could no longer go back to Konoha. She could no longer go back to the Akatsuki. She was alone now. As utterly alone as possible.

_Perhaps I can find Sasuke and apologize._ She gave a small laugh as she sighed. She felt as if she should be crying, but in truth she couldn't. Nor did she want to.

Instead, she let ANBU Sakura resurface from so long ago.

_I'm becoming more and more like Itachi every day. I'm not sad anymore. Merely angry. Cold. Aloof. Tears will no longer grace my eyes._

_Only the Sharingan._

Sakura twiddled with the necklace that hung around her neck, looking down at the little flower. _So pretty…so out of place…so delicate and weak…like I once was. How strange, to see how much I've changed. I didn't even realize it before. When I was in Konoha as an ANBU, I cut myself off from most of my emotions. Ino and the others worried for me. But when I was captured by the Akatsuki…they made me feel again._

He_ made me feel again._

_How strange and fitting, to once again lose the thing that I loved._

_Sasuke…and now…_

"Sakura."

Sakura froze, hand clenching the small flower pendant as she felt the presence behind her.

_Itachi._

* * *

Itachi headed through the trees, his gaze dark.

Deidara was in his room, sulking. Kisame was probably still raving over the entire incident, cursing inanimate objects. Sasori had sent Itachi to go get Sakura back, much to his surprise and annoyance. Of course, it wasn't as if Itachi were taking an _order_ from Sasori. He had merely decided he didn't want another episode.

He followed her trail easily. She was clumsy and tired, and her chakra was almost depleted.

He supposed such a thing was natural after what he had seen.

His Sharingan saw everything. Nothing escaped his gaze.

Not even Sakura's eyes.

Itachi's own eyes narrowed as he jumped to another limb. In those few seconds they had not been their normal, beautiful green…but the enticing, tantalizing color that matched the clouds on his cloak.

But that wasn't what was really bothering him, no matter how much he would have liked it to be his only problem. No, another more pressing matter held him in its grasp.

The moment he had seen her…when Deidara's bird had gone for her…

But most of all…the moment when he and Deidara had attacked each other.

Itachi's eyes narrowed once again.

He had been momentarily and utterly scared for her. It had happened in an instant, a small panic and fear that he couldn't control. He had been worried she'd die. He had seen her eyes widen and he had felt her fear and it had become his own, even if for just a moment.

But he had not saved her.

He had gone for Deidara, seeing a moment of weakness. He had let his goal, his desire to kill Deidara, get in the way of Sakura's safety. And he and Deidara had not stopped. They had both continued to lunge, to kill each other.

He tried to tell himself it didn't matter, that any true shinobi would do the same thing.

It did not help.

And that was what bothered him. He had felt guilty afterwards. Itachi Uchiha never felt _guilty_. He never regretted anything.

But he regretted his decision there, even if for a moment.

But it had passed, as he had seen Sakura take control of the situation. But when the bird had exploded, for a single moment he couldn't see her and his heart had frozen inside of his chest.

He couldn't stand that feeling.

He had only ever experienced it once before, when he had been very young. Four. He had been practicing outside with his mother in the woods when five Mist shinobi had attacked them.

He had been completely helpless. He had merely curled into a ball and watched as his mother fought them off. All the time his heart had been beating wildly and his eyes had grown wide as he realized that his mommy could _die_. Those men could hurt her.

But they had both survived.

And Itachi had never been afraid again. The next day he began training with his father. The fear was gone, replaced by uncaring, unfeeling, unadulterated emptiness.

And Itachi had welcomed it.

He tried to welcome it once more, but something held it at bay. Something stopped him from experiencing the casual aloofness he had so long accepted.

And that something was the woman sitting on the ground in front of him, her back to him. The Haruno sign on the back of her shirt shown in the light.

"Sakura."

He wondered how it was possible that her parents had named her so correctly. Cherry blossom of spring. So intricate and beautiful, so vibrant and full of life. But it was wrong on a few aspects. Sakura was no weak, delicate little thing. No, no matter how many times he tried to convince himself of that, she proved him wrong.

Her eyes had proven that.

She turned to look at him, and there were no tears. Merely an acceptance and anger, boiling beneath green pools.

"Itachi."

Their cold greetings to one another seemed to heighten the tension in the air. Itachi did not speak. His anger at her was slowly disappearing. Or rather, the anger that he believed had been directed at her. It really wasn't. When he had seen her in Deidara's room, he had blamed himself, even if he hadn't known it at the time.

He merely watched her as she slowly stood. He could see the stiffness in her body, the pain she must be going through just to stand.

But she didn't give up. She pretended it didn't affect her at all.

"What do you want? I'm leaving, just like you asked me to. Like a good, obedient little girl." Her voice dripped with anger and sarcasm, but he could feel the waver in it. The hurt that was still there.

Itachi raised on eyebrow, leaning casually against one of the trees. "You have not healed my eyes."

Sakura gave a small, incredulous laugh as she ran a hand through her hair. She looked at him with a wondering, amused grin.

"To tell you the truth, Itachi, I really don't give a damn about your eyes."

Itachi's mouth thinned as he watched her. Her hair hung about her eyes in completely disarray. It gave her a wild look. A strong look. It was the woman he had seen those long weeks ago. The woman beneath the ANBU mask.

Sakura Haruno, one of the strongest kunoichi in all of Konoha.

His cherry blossom.

"We're heading back."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Itachi resisted the urge to sigh. She was indeed his cherry blossom, as stubborn and infuriating as ever. She didn't seem to understand that she couldn't _not_ take an order from him, Uchiha Itachi.

"Deidara is fine."

"That's not why I won't go back." Sakura sighed. "I don't have to. I have no obligations to you or anyone else in Akatsuki. I'm not a member, so I don't obey Leader's orders. I can't be forced to heal your eyes."

"I'll use the Mangekou."

"Is that a threat?" Sakura laughed. "I'm not too worried, to tell you the truth." _I should be petrified, but I'm not. I'm too tired to be scared._ She gave a small sigh, trying to ignore the pain and soreness of her limbs. _Is healing your eyes the only reason why you want me back? Why did you fight with Deidara then? Just to prove that I'm your property and he can't touch me?_ _I'm too tired to even think about it right now. _That jutsu had drained her almost completely, and it still seemed to be sapping the energy from her. She wasn't used to the strain it gave her. She'd have to work on it to expand her control and time limit.

"You can now use the Sharingan as well, I believe."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "How did you know?"

"Hn."

Sakura gave another loud sigh. "Very well, don't answer." _It's not as if you've ever answered my questions before._

"But the Sharingan is not the only part to that jutsu." Itachi concluded. His Sharingan had seen more, seen the inner workings of Sakura's chakra systems, or rather, sensed them. There was a strange flowering of chakra inside of her, like none he had ever seen. And she had merely molded it into the Sharingan.

Itachi wondered what else it could do.

Sakura didn't have the strength to argue with him. "Hai."

"The Doujutsu section of the scroll was small. The rest of the scroll was based off of something else. What was it?"

Sakura felt her legs begin to slowly give, but she forced herself to continue standing. She wouldn't look weak in front of Itachi ever again. She could handle her own. "You know, you haven't talked this much to me in a long time. It's nice." The truth just slipped out in her fatigue. The real thoughts she was having at the moment.

Itachi blinked, for a moment caught off guard. Then he regained his composure. "Your attempts at changing the subject are unsuccessful, Sakura."

"I just want to talk, is that so bad?" Sakura continued, as if she had not heard his last statement. "You rarely ever do that anymore. Just talk. In fact, I don't remember you ever just talking for the sake of talking. You should do it more often."

_She's exhausted. She won't be conscious for much longer. _Itachi took a step forward. _That jutsu took more out of her than she knows._

Sakura's knees buckled and she gave a small curse as she fell to the grass. "Dammit." She whispered fervently, ignoring the pain as she tried to stand again. Instead, she felt herself enveloped in warm, strong arms. She closed her eyes for a moment, reveling in the feel of it.

_How long since I've felt this?_

_Too long._

_It's nice._

_It will never happen again, will it?_

_Why does it affect me so much? I should be angry with him. I should be utterly enraged and superbly pissed at this man, but I'm not._

She was brought up to his chest, and for once she didn't object to his holding her. It had been so long, she didn't believe she wanted the moment to end. It wasn't romantic, but she would take what she could get.

_How strange, to go from wanting to kill this man to dying every time he touches me. I'm completely insane. _

_If the rest of the world knew what it was like, I think we'd _all_ go mad._

Itachi felt her press against him, and for a moment he just held her. He wasn't used to the strange comfort holding her gave him. He had never liked the feeling before. It made him feel weak, and that was something he never allowed.

Weakness was for fools.

People like his brother.

But for a moment, he felt like a normal person. For a moment he wasn't Itachi Uchiha, murderer of his entire clan and s-class criminal. He was Itachi Uchiha, shinobi and protector of Sakura Haruno.

And he hated the feeling.

But he anticipated it as well.

It was the little boy inside of him that wanted this. The little voice that had warned him not to kill his parents. The little boy that had told him not to take advantage of his cherry blossom before.

The weak part of him.

The only part of him that seemed to make sense at the moment.

* * *

When Sakura awoke, she was in her room in the Akatsuki hideout in Cloud. She wasn't very surprised, as she sat up in her bed with a small sigh. She was still completely dressed in her yukata and slacks. She hadn't really expected Itachi to be kind enough to put her in her sleeping gown. Perverted enough, maybe, but not kind enough.

_But he brought me all the way back here in his arms._

_Yeah, because I haven't finished _healing_ him. Bastard._

_You know you liked it._

Sakura gave another loud sigh as she slipped out from beneath the covers, still too tired to fight with her 'Inner Sakura'. She supposed she was lucky that the rooms themselves had been undamaged in Deidara and Itachi's fight.

_What a useless fight._

She undid her obi, loosening the yukata. She slipped it off just as the door slid open.

"Good morning kitten, yeah—" Deidara stopped, swallowing as he saw her. Sakura was frowning slightly as him. She wore no shirt, merely a large bandage wrapped around her chest, which all kunoichi wore. He'd always known she'd worn them underneath her shinobi outfits. His eyes trailed down her pale shoulders to the valley of her breasts, where the bandage cut off any view of what was beneath, as well as any more heated thoughts.

"Yes?"

Deidara almost winced at her voice. It was cold and slightly annoyed. Infuriatingly enough, it reminded him of Itachi's. Had their fight really had that much of an effect on her? He had done it for her!

"It's time for breakfast. Everyone else is in the kitchen and I just wanted to ask if you wanted anything, yeah."

"I'm not hungry." She walked over to her chest, pulling out another folded yukata, a burnished, warm bronze silk. She placed it on, along with a black obi with golden bamboo designs. She then slipped off her pants, her butt hidden beneath the yukata bottom. However, her pale legs were in complete view.

Deidara knew she wasn't trying to seduce him or taunt him. That was too low for Sakura. She was merely getting dressed and he was intruding. He supposed he should have known she'd treat him like this after he and Itachi's fight.

Dear god he had tried to stop, couldn't she see that?

"Sakura-chan…" Deidara gave a loud sigh as she slipped on a new pair of black pants. "The fight between Itachi and I…we…"

Sakura snorted derisively as she slipped on her sandals. "Tell me, Deidara. When did I ask you to become my champion and defend my honor?" She knew she was being mean, but she was mad at him right now. She was mad at the way that even then, she hadn't been able to stop her two most precious people from wanting to kill each other.

Deidara winced at her words, but he supposed he should have expected them. "I guess I wasn't thinking about that, yeah. I'm sorry."

_Yeah, I guess you weren't thinking. And neither was Itachi. And neither was I. I never should have jumped between you two. Maybe it would have been better to let you two blow yourself to smithereens. Then, at least, you would see how stupid you were acting._

_I could find a new shinobi way. Heh._

It was a pitiful attempt at a joke, and she couldn't even smile save for a small lifting at the corner of her mouth. _Che. An Itachi smile. _

She turned to look at Deidara again, swearing she'd stay mad at him forever. But it was too hard with him looking so heartbroken, like a little lost puppy. And that reminded her of little Naruto. Which in turn reminded her of the real Naruto.

She gave a small sigh. She'd forgiven Naruto after he and Sasuke had fought.

The least she could do was forgive Deidara.

"I'll be out in a minute or so for breakfast. Then we can go train, ne?" Sakura gave a ghost of a smile as she tried to pretend to be the kitten he'd always loved to tease and joke with. "Maybe when I get better you can teach me that blood tracking bird jutsu. It's only fair. It did try and kill me after all."

Deidara winced as he nodded, though he was smiling as he saw that she was joking. "Yeah."

"See ya, Deidara. I'll be out soon."

"Right." Deidara nodded slowly as he closed the door behind him.

Sakura sat back down on the edge of her bed with a sigh. She resisted the urge to jump back into the covers and go back to sleep. But she had to train with Deidara after breakfast. Then sword practice with Kisame. And at night, it was puppet jutsus with Sasori.

She'd never have time to perfect her new jutsu. Her fingers itched to go through the seals once more, but she knew she wouldn't have the chakra for that jutsu for a while. She needed some food. She slowly stood, getting ready to head out of her room when she spotted it.

It was innocently placed upon her tabletop, looking as if it had been there the entire time.

The scroll.

Sakura slowly picked it up, running a finger along one side. She gave another small smile as she slipped it into her yukata. _If you keep this up, I might be forced to laugh. Baka. You're going to drive me insane with all these mind games._

_Who knew you could actually do something nice._

_You make it hard to stay mad at you, surprisingly enough._

_Like a puppy who has chewed my favorite slipper. They look so cute and stare up at me with those puppy dog eyes, I can't NOT forgive them._

Sakura laughed out loud at the thought. A picture of Itachi chewing on her shinobi sandal was absurd enough, but the thought of him looking innocent with large puppy-dog eyes was hilarious.

Sakura barely managed to contain her laughter as she headed into the kitchen.

* * *

Sakura wiped the sweat from her brow as she breathed in deeply. She shouldered the makeshift Samehada, looking back at Kisame who was snickering at her.

"You're too slow, kitten. Speed it up."

Sakura gave another loud sigh as she began doing a few more complex swings that Kisame had taught her. The sword strained in her hands, the hilt sliding from her sweaty palms. She clenched it tightly to keep it from flying away.

The afternoon sun was high in the sky, and it bore down on them. Kisame didn't seem affected by it.

Of course, he was sitting on the porch drinking sake.

In the _shade_.

She was sweating bullets and her yukata was sticking to her body in all the wrong places. She'd stopped complaining about it, however. Kisame had merely said it accentuated her 'little curves', which he stated needed all the help they could get.

She had reminded him he'd said she had a nice rack.

He'd told her it was probably because he hadn't seen a woman naked for a while.

She'd said it was because he'd _never_ seen a woman naked before.

He said he had.

She'd told him the covers of Icha Icha Paradise didn't count.

He'd made her do pushups with him sitting on her back.

She snapped out that he was heavy.

He said it was because of all of his muscles.

She told him it was because of his beer gut.

Now she was doing one hundred extra swings with Samehada and he was laughing at her, smirking from behind his sake cup.

If dinner didn't come soon, she was going to strangle the shark-man.

Sakura finally finished her swings, letting the sword fall from her hands. She gave a loud sigh as she flopped down onto the ground, feeling the cool grass on her back. A few pieces tickled her cheek.

Suddenly a large shadow distorted her view of the bright blue sky, and she frowned. "Don't lay down like that kitten." Kisame grunted.

"Why not?"

Kisame grinned. "You look like you've just been thoroughly sexed and sated. The sweaty, wild look is good for you. I might not be able to hold back."

"You're as bad as my old sensei—no, I take it back. You're worse. You and Jiraiya would have to fight for the top position, though." Sakura smiled up at him, before flipping up and groaning as her body shrieked in protest at the movement.

"I'm honored to be put in the same group as a Sannin."

"Not in skill, Kisame." Sakura teased him, poking him in the chest. "Just in sick tastes and fancies."

"Suppertime, yeah!" Deidara called from inside.

"Thank the lord!" Sakura laughed out as she and Kisame headed inside.

She felt a hand cross her but and she glared daggers at Kisame. "Excuse me?" _You're walking on thin ice Kisame. You're just lucky you're a fish and can swim._

Kisame watched her innocently. "I was just wiping the dirt and grass from your pants." He ruined it by winking. "It's nice and toned, too." For some reason, Sakura didn't believe he was talking about the grass.

Sakura pursed her lips. "I thought you said I was like your sister, Kisame."

"You are, why?" Kisame grinned.

Sakura jabbed him in the ribs as she headed inside, hearing him grunt as she called back. "Because a brother doesn't pinch his sister's ass."

Itachi raised one eyebrow as Sakura and Kisame entered. He'd heard the comment by Sakura, and his eyes narrowed in Kisame's direction. Of course, it only lasted for a few seconds as he watched Sakura once more from the corner of his eye.

Her face was flushed and she was still breathing heavily from her training with Kisame. Her yukata stuck to her skin with sweat, showing off her curves. Strange enough, she didn't smell bad when she was sweaty.

She smelled…earthy. Like damp soil after a light rain.

She slipped into a seat between Kisame and Sasori. Itachi noted with some satisfaction that she did not sit near Deidara.

Of course, she didn't sit near _him_ either. But that made no difference. As long as she was not near the missing-nin from Stone.

"How was your training with Kisame, Haruno-san?" Sasori asked as Sakura breathed in the smell of the steaming tea with a sigh of contentment.

Itachi couldn't believe this was the same woman he had met the night before in the forest. She was so different. It was if she had different faces which she only let out every once and a while.

Either that, or she just hid her disappointment and sadness well.

And her anger.

She was even acting kind and considerate to him, on a very base level of course. She had even said she'd look at his eyes after her training session with Sasori and a quick shower.

Itachi didn't show it, but he was actually anticipating the finish of dinner and Sasori and Sakura's lesson. He felt foolish and childish when he thought of how excited getting his eyes healed was making him.

It was slightly unnerving to think he could be excited about something, almost nervous to see the outcome of her healings.

"It was good, Sasori-san, although Kisame weighs more than his sword, which I didn't think was possible."

"Che." Kisame grunted, taking a sip of his sake. "You're just too puny, kitten. We need to work those arm muscles. Why can't everything just be as toned as your ass?"

Deidara choked on his rice, as well as a laugh as Kisame's face slammed into the table. Sasori breathed in deeply.

Itachi's eyes narrowed dangerously. _Stay away from her, Kisame._ He almost blinked in surprise at his own thoughts.

Perhaps it was because of the fact that he now knew Deidara was no longer a threat. That meant, in a sense, that now she was completely his.

And Kisame would stop if he valued his life—or his manhood.

Kisame slowly sat up with a curse, his face covered in rice and chicken. He gave an annoyed frown that didn't fit him, making him look like a pouting little girl. That made Sakura burst out laughing, and Itachi listened to the sound.

He hadn't heard her laugh in a while.

Once again, Itachi reprimanded himself. He wasn't Deidara. He was no lovesick puppy to follow Sakura around and whine for attention.

She was merely a possession of his that he could use any time he wanted.

Nothing more.

She had no emotional hold over him. He wouldn't allow it. That meant weakness.

He was not his brother, or any of Sakura's many other suitors.

He was Itachi Uchiha who let nothing and no one influence or weaken him beside himself.

"I noticed blades in the sandals of my geisha, but I didn't know how to release them." Sakura began explaining to Sasori. "I just guessed that using a small amount of chakra would do it, but they wouldn't budge."

"Ah." Sasori nodded. "Those blades are only tripped when a certain point on the sandal heel is pressed correctly. This means that you can operate some of the geisha's weapons without using too much of your chakra."

"Oh." Sakura nodded with a smile. "That's interesting. My geisha is just full of surprises, isn't she?"

"Just like her puppet master, yeah." Deidara teased.

Itachi drowned out their conversation as Kisame began talking once more about what he and Sakura would be going over the next day, and Deidara praised her work with his clay.

* * *

Sakura slipped into her room in her towel. She gave a small sigh as she slid the door closed behind her. Itachi was sitting on the edge of her bed, watching her with his emotionless face. _Itachi's been quiet tonight. _

She tried to ignore the hurt feeling it gave her to know he hadn't tried anything else, which surprised herself even more. Even during the small period of time they'd been alone together in the hall after breakfast before she had gone outside with Deidara, he hadn't so much as looked at her.

It hurt, because for some reason she had believed that maybe he actually felt something for her.

Why else would he and Deidara have fought?

Sakura smiled at him, "Good evening, Itachi. Shall we begin?" She sat down on the edge of the bed and placed her hands over his eyes.

"Let's see, you've been using a lot of your Sharingan lately, haven't you?"

"Hn."

"After using it myself, I felt the strain it has on the eyes of its wielder. Using it for such long periods of time isn't healthy."

"Hn."

"I think that if I experiment with the regular Sharingan in my own eyes, I can develop easier and quicker ways of healing _yours_, as well as understand the certain time limit you can use them without damaging them before they can heal themselves."

"Hn."

"Of course, I've only used the Sharingan once. It will be a while, so I'll just have to heal your eyes like I have always done for the time being."

"Hn."

"Kisame walked in and saw me naked in the bathtub."

"Hn."

"And I believe I can heal your eyes completely by—"

"Kisame did what?"

Sakura looked at him with a small smile. She'd wondered when he'd finally catch it. She liked the small flare of his nostrils as his eyes flashed crimson. He was angry, or at least a bit annoyed. _I'm actually beginning to read him now, even if just a little bit. Good. It's about time._

She gave a small huff. "You're going to hurt yourself if you change your eyes to their Sharingan state while I'm healing them."

"What was Kisame doing in the bathroom with you?"

Sakura grinned down at him. "Oh Itachi, I was just joking. It's cute to see that you can actually be jealous though." _Although I don't know if that expression actually counts as jealousy. More like mild irritation. Heh._

Itachi's eyes flashed and he gripped her wrist. Sakura let out a small yelp, but it was caught by his lips as he pressed her against the bed.

Sakura's eyes went wide as she was pressed into the soft mattress. She felt his warm body over hers, his hands firmly planted on either side of her. His tongue licked the crease between her lips and she unconsciously opened her mouth in an invitation.

She didn't even know what she was doing. The weight of him on her chest felt so right, she never wanted it to stop. This was what she had wanted for so long…

But why was it happening now? That was her only question. Why?

She seemed to ask that a lot, when the question pertained to Itachi. Their tongues began entwining and she swore she felt Itachi smirk against her lips, which made her a little angry. What did he think, that he was some great man-god that could make any girl swoon under his touch?

Well, he would be partly correct in his assumptions then, or so Sakura believed.

She felt her towel slipping off of her body and Itachi's Akatsuki cloak skimmed across her chest. The fabric was cool, and it raked across her skin like sensual fingers.

She resisted the urge to arch against him, because she had no idea where the thought had come from. Her body had merely rushed to react to the strange sensations she was feeling. Luckily, she stopped herself, although she didn't quite know why she did so.

Suddenly Itachi pulled a few inches a way, his red Sharingan looked down at her from behind his coal black bangs. Sakura was breathing in ragged breaths, but Itachi was breathing normally.

His breath smelt good. Like the tea he'd been drinking.

"Tell Kisame that if I catch him in the bathroom with you, I will kill him."

Sakura almost believed he was actually joking, since he smirked as he said it. But Sakura then realized that he was being dead serious. The small catch of possessiveness she heard in his usually emotionless voice made her stomach do a flip.

She looked up at him, and she couldn't help but frown. "He's just teasing."

"Hn."

Sakura bit her lip, wondering what to do now. She felt awfully awkward, lying beneath him on the bed. Merely because they weren't _doing_ anything, just lying there.

Itachi watched as a small sliver of her tooth appeared between her full lips, followed by a tongue that whipped across the bottom one almost too quickly to see, wetting it.

He wanted to taste her lips again, but he supposed this was enough for now.

He was going to show her that she was _his_ soon.

Sooner or later she would give into him completely, of her own accord. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked back at what he had just thought. Was he really letting what Deidara said to him get under his skin?

**_"I didn't have to tie Sakura up for her to sleep with _me_."_**

Itachi frowned slightly at the thought. He didn't care what Deidara had said. It wasn't as if it were affecting him.

However, he was going to prove Deidara wrong, just because he felt like it, of course.

Although he didn't suppose now would be a good time to use his theory. Sakura was still staring at him in mild surprise, although she seemed happy with the events that had taken place.

He skimmed her stomach with one hand, and felt her skin tighten at the contact. He remembered that her towel had fallen off, but he didn't look down at her body. For some reason, he merely met her green eyes with his own crimson ones. For a second it flashed into his mind how dark and sensual she would look with the Sharingan.

"Itachi?"

"We'll continue tomorrow night." Itachi then stood up—if not a bit begrudgingly—and headed to the door.

Sakura sat up slowly. She wondered if he was talking about her healing his eyes…or whatever it was that had just happened. She touched her lips, which tingled.

He slid the door open.

"Itachi!"

Itachi turned to look back at her over his shoulder.

Sakura smiled at him, "Thank you for the scroll." She mumbled as she motioned to where it sat on her bedside table.

"Hn."

And then he was gone.

Sakura rubbed her arms. The room was suddenly cold without Itachi sitting beside her…or on top of her. She allowed herself a small blush as she tucked a few strands of her hair out of her eyes.

She supposed this discounted her theory. She had believed she could read Itachi. But he just kept surprising her. She didn't know what to make of him.

He seemed to like proving her wrong at everything turn.

**(A/N: Hehehe. Did you like it? Happy Valentine's Day! I don't really like the holiday, but I made an exception here. I know we all wanted it to be a bit steamier, but I wanted to keep the really good stuff for later on.**

**Besides, I think Sakura and Itachi's thoughts about one another were very romantic. I'm hoping that this will help to build up their relationship now, so that it isn't like they're in love all of a sudden. That would be a disappointment. Besides, I think that in Sakura and Itachi's case, it's going to be more hot, passionate love than romantic, sweet love, until Itachi gets some sense knocked into him.**

**And, of course, we all love the hot, passionate love too! Maybe even more. Like my sister. She's just waiting for a lemon scene.**

**I merely put in a pinch of lemon to keep you all excited. **

**Oh, if only they had continued! Hehehehe. Of course, Kisame would have probably burst in. He has a nasty habit of doing that. And then, of course, he would get murdered by all of you.**

**Until next time, I guess I'm signing off!**

**Lady Hanaka**

**The best Valentine you can give me is a review! (hint, hint)**

**Life Question: What happens if you get scared half to death _twice_?)**


	10. Chapter 9: Resemblance

Disclaimer: Nope. I still don't own Naruto. If I did, then I would have my own harem of Naruto men. (Ah, good times). Hehe, we all know Itachi would be one of them! Ok. To the story...

**Chapter 9**

**Resemblance**

Sakura wore a gi and hakama as she headed out for sword practice with Kisame. He was finally going to start teaching her actual sword fighting, instead of just the swings and lunges he had been drilling her in.

But that wasn't the only reason why Sakura was slightly nervous.

Itachi was watching.

He, Deidara, and Sasori had all seemed to find enough time to sit and watch her and Kisame's first duel. Sakura already knew who was going to win. She just wished she didn't have to be humiliated in front of all of them.

She bit her lip and breathed in deeply. She could feel Itachi's gaze on her back and it only made it worse. She felt herself go hot any time she thought about the night before.

**_"We'll continue tomorrow night."_**

It made her stomach a nervous flutter of butterflies. She wouldn't deny it. She was anticipating her meeting later that night with Itachi. She ignored the blush trying to rise to her cheeks as she watched Kisame.

"Well, let's go kitten." Kisame brought Samehada in front of him from where it had rested on his shoulder. "I don't have all day."

"Actually, you do." Sasori commented casually.

Kisame frowned. "Hey, you never know when Leader will send us on a mission."

Sakura tried to smile confidently. "Stop stalling Kisame. Let's just do this already." _And get it over with._

"You can take him kitten, yeah!" Deidara called out encouragingly.

Sakura looked over at him. She wondered if he were trying to make her feel better or if he actually believed she could take on an Akatsuki member.

He was definitely just being nice.

_I don't know how much better a boost in my self-confidence is going to do me, Deidara. But thanks for trying anyway. _Sakura thought to herself as she breathed in deeply once more.

Then she lunged forward, swinging her own sword.

Kisame parried and they clashed together. The jarring motion racked her arms, almost making them go numb. The striking force of the sword was almost overpowering. Sakura slammed her feet into the ground to keep herself from being pushed over as she locked her arms in placed.

They stayed that way, both pushing on the other's sword.

Then Sakura felt her arms begin to tire. She focused chakra into them and shoved forward, making Kisame jumped backwards to regain his balance and keep from being pushed over.

Sakura took the moment to swing her sword in a large arc. Kisame blocked her attack, slamming Samehada into her own sword. This time she wasn't rooted to the ground and she flew backwards. She managed to flip in the air with the large sword, swinging it around a full three hundred and sixty degrees to stop another attack from Kisame.

_How can he do this for so long? Swinging this sword like this is hard. And you can't change the direction very quickly. Once you start going, you can't very well stop. If you're slow, you're dead._

She suddenly gained a little bit of respect for Kisame, if only because of his sword skill. They pushed themselves apart again. Kisame hadn't broken a sweat.

Sakura was trying to pretend like she _wasn't_ having a problem breathing. She felt her arms begin to sag as she locked them in place. She wasn't out yet.

She let out a growl as she rushed forward, sword ready. She gathered chakra into her arms and swung.

There was a loud grating of steel as the swords connected. Then Sakura and Kisame were on opposite sides of the field. Kisame shouldered Samehada and grinned. "I won, kitten."

Sakura frowned at him, getting ready to argue that he couldn't assume such things so early on—when she looked down at her sword.

Or rather, what was left of it.

It had been cut completely in half by Samehada.

Sakura dropped the half she still held with a sigh. She hadn't believed that swinging it so hard would cause Kisame's sword to slice through it. She looked to see Kisame grinning at her.

"Nice try. You're getting better."

"Thanks." Sakura felt a little embarrassed at her failure.

Deidara let out a laugh. "That's the first time I've seen someone keep him on his toes, Sakura. Way to go, yeah!"  
Sakura blinked. She hadn't even noticed.

"Che." Kisame grunted. "She wasn't _that_ good."

"Don't deny it. You were worried." Deidara teased.

Sasori gave a small sigh before turning to Sakura. "You have indeed grown in your skills, Haruno-san."

"Thank you Sasori-san." Sakura nodded at him. Deidara may have praised her for her skill, but she could always trust Sasori to tell her plainly what she was doing and how well she was doing it.

Kisame would tell her that her skills were _nothing_ compared to his.

And Itachi would merely tell her she was weak.

Sakura looked down at her severed sword. "I guess I need some more practice."

"Yep." Kisame slung an arm around her shoulders. "But I'm sure that with my wonderful teachings, even _you_ can become a great sword-master, kitten."

Sakura felt a heated gaze upon her and tried to ignore Itachi. She peeled Kisame's arm off her shoulders and smiled at him. "Oi. Are you some sword guru now?" _If you touch me again I think Itachi's going to murder you where you stand. And that won't be good. _

Once again, his protectiveness—or was it merely possessiveness?—stirred something in her stomach.

She couldn't wait till she finished training with Sasori later that night.

"That's enough training for today, kitten." Kisame grunted. "You've gotten your ass beaten bad enough already. It's a nice ass though."

_You shouldn't have done that, Kisame!_ Sakura called out silently, almost wincing as she heard Itachi's voice.

"Sakura. Come."

_You make me seem like a dog. Do you want me to fetch a stick and heel like a good little puppy?_

"Alright." Sakura nodded at Sasori, Kisame, and Deidara as she followed Itachi. Deidara's gaze was jealous, Sasori's understanding, and Kisame's confused.

* * *

Sasuke landed on the ground in front of Deidara's home in Stone. He hadn't been there in a long time. The last time…he had sworn to kill her. 

Now, he hoped he would find a way to do that.

He stretched out his sore legs, wincing as they cramped. He'd been running days on end. He was surprised they hadn't fallen off.

_This is it, Sakura. When I find you, I'll…_

_What? Kill her?_

_I swore I would do so._

_Kill the only one who continued to believe in you? She was the only one who didn't condemn you when you left, that's what Naruto told you. Don't be a damn hypocrite, Sasuke. Condemning her for leaving and betraying you…when you did the same to her._

_Shut up._ Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he felt a presence behind him.

"Uchiha."

Sasuke turned to see someone he hadn't thought to see for a long while. Neji Hyuga. He'd been sent on a mission, and Sasuke had taken the opportunity to escape Konoha. Apparently Neji had gotten word of Sasuke's departure.

His white Byakugan eyes glittered dangerously as he brought himself into his gentle fist-fighting pose.

"I have waited a long time for this battle, Uchiha. After all, you once challenged me. However, you left for Sound before I could take you up on the offer." Neji watched as Sasuke got into his own fighting stance.

"Out of my way, Hyuga."

"You are wanted back at Konoha. For some reason the Hokage wishes to be generous and let you live. Two betrayals to Konoha within seven years…that's quite a dangerous record, Uchiha. Some people might believe you don't deserve to live."

Sasuke smirked. "Someone like you?"

Neji smiled back at him. "Perhaps."

"So they only sent you? No one else? How pathetic. Apparently the Hokage didn't realize I have grown stronger."

Neji snorted. "And apparently you have not realized that I have grown stronger as well. Of course, I have always been more powerful than you, Uchiha. Your arrogance will get you killed. Sooner than you think."

"N-Neji!" Hinata appeared on the ground behind him. Kiba, Shino, Lee, Tenten, and Choji all landed on the ground a few seconds later.

"Neji!" Lee exclaimed. "How could you leave us behind? Besides, it is _I_ who wishes to fight Sasuke Uchiha. I beat him once, I shall do so again. No one will dishonor Sakura-san while I, Rock Lee, live and breathe."

Tenten sighed, "Nice speech, Lee. Just let Neji handle this."

"Ah. I see that the Hokage didn't have as much faith in your skills as I believed." Sasuke taunted, eyes shining with his Sharingan.

Neji's eyes narrowed in return as he smirked.

"They were merely sent to keep me from killing you where you stand, Uchiha." _No one will hurt Sakura while I am alive, Sasuke Uchiha. Especially not a selfish, revenge-obsessed prick like yourself._

Sasuke twiddled a kunai between his fingers as he turned his head to the side, watching Neji with one crimson eye. "You want to make a wager upon that, Hyuga? I doubt you can kill me."

"Do not tempt me, Uchiha."

Sasuke threw the kunai and Neji caught it easily. "I saw you fighting with Itachi that first time we met up with them after Haruno-san's capture. You were pitiful then. I doubt you have improved much."

Sasuke let out a small growl. "You couldn't defeat Itachi either."

"But I stood a better chance at it than yourself." Neji let out a small laugh as he followed Sasuke's movements with his eyes. "Perhaps I should have been born into the Uchiha Clan. Then, at least, I could avenge them properly."

Sasuke lunged.

Hinata paled. _Oh Neji! You didn't!_

Neji blocked a kick, swinging his own leg around to slam it into Sasuke's stomach. The substitution disappeared in a puff of smoke as Neji smirked. He'd known it was fake all along. What did Sasuke believe he was, an amateur? _Any_ Byakugan wielder could tell the difference between a real opponent and a substitution or clone.

He felt the real Sasuke's chakra behind him and his eyes narrowed in satisfaction. He was in range. He saw Sasuke get ready for his signature fireball attack, and he began his heavenly spin.

Sasuke was thrown backwards into a tree. Neji rushed forward, one hand readied in the killing strike he was famous for, which went straight for the heart. He slammed his hand forward and met only with bark.

Neji's eyes narrowed as he turned to look for the Uchiha. But he was nowhere to be found. "Hinata-sama, use your Byakugan and scan the area." Neji ordered, doing the same thing.

"N-nothing." Hinata confirmed his own search.

"That sneaky bastard ran away!" Kiba roared. "What a coward!"

"There was another chakra presence here for a moment, right before Sasuke disappeared." Tenten deducted. "Do you think he had help?"

Neji clenched his hand. "Indeed. Let us continue our search."

As they all disappeared into the air, the tree behind them let out a loud groan as it split in two from Neji's attack.

* * *

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he surveyed his surroundings. He wasn't that far from Deidara's home in Stone. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the man leaning against the tree in front of him. 

"Who the hell are you?" Sasuke spoke first.

The man let out a dark laugh. Sasuke recognized the Akatsuki cloak, but the man was unfamiliar.

"You're being rather rude, don't you think? I just saved your life, boy."

"I had everything under control." Sasuke hissed out.

The man let out another chuckle as he looked at Sasuke from behind black bangs. His silver eyes glittered. "Going up against an entire group of shinobi by yourself? And I thought that the Uchiha Clan was supposed to be intelligent. Perhaps only Itachi gained that asset."

Sasuke growled deep in his throat as he lunged. The man grabbed his arm and slammed him into the tree before he even knew what was happening. He felt the bark dig into his skin as the man held him there.

"Don't be hasty, Sasuke Uchiha. Unless you wish me to kill you now."

"You know my name. It is only polite to tell me yours. You are the one, after all, stressing manners and decorum."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Aren't you an observant little ass? Very well." The man shrugged. "I don't have anything better to do. After all, we might be working together." A dark, expectant smile flashed across his face. It unnerved Sasuke.

Sasuke waited.

"I am Tomokazu Arita."

Sasuke snorted. "You say that as if it should mean something to me."

Tomokazu's eyes narrowed once more, to mere slits. He resisted the urge to kill the boy right then. It was a very tempting offer, but he refused it. He needed him, after all. "I have a proposition to make, Uchiha Sasuke."

"Hn."

_Almost as aggravating as your bastard of a brother, aren't you?_

"You want Sakura Haruno and your brother Itachi, do you not?"

"Hai." Sasuke answered cautiously.

Tomokazu grinned maliciously at him. "Well. I know where they are."

There was a long moment of silence as Sasuke watched him. This man was Akatsuki. Why would he be helping Sasuke? Unless…unless he didn't like Itachi and wanted him gone as well. Sasuke didn't believe his luck.

"I'm listening."

* * *

Sakura looked across the table at Itachi. He was sitting down, sipping his tea. 

Sakura gave a small sigh. "Well? What did you call me in here for?"

"Hn."

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _Is he jealous of Kisame? Ha. I doubt it. He's just being difficult._ She took a sip of her own tea. She looked around the room with a small smile. "I see that you and Deidara fixed the kitchen rather well."

"Hn."

"It's your own fault." Sakura couldn't resist the urge to tease him slightly. To her, if was much easier to make light of a serious situation. It was the only way she could still deal with the fact that Itachi and Deidara had almost killed her.

_Get over it, Sakura. Deidara is still your friend and Itachi is…well, Itachi. That hasn't changed. You have to accept the fact. You did so with Sasuke and Naruto. They were your teammates._

_And look what happened. Sasuke wants to kill me. I've hurt Naruto so badly…he probably hates me and I don't blame him._

_Stop being so self-centered._

Sakura gave another small sigh as she took another sip of her tea. The air around them was becoming uncomfortable. Especially as Sakura thought of the night before. It made her fingers itch…she wondered if his hair was as soft as she had always thought it was.

She blinked. _Oi, Sakura, you're daydreaming about an s-class criminal._

_A hot one._

_Whoa girl._

_Next time he kisses me, I'll show him he's not the only one who knows how to use their tongue!_

_Sakura!_ That voice was her mother's reprimanding her for her rather dirty thoughts. Sakura snickered at the thought of her mother walking in seeing her daughter making out with an s-class criminal.

That wouldn't go over very well.

Her mother had always said Sakura should nab herself the Uchiha. That way, she would be the matron of the Uchiha Clan and be married into one of the most famous and honorable clans in Konoha.

Of course, her mother was probably referring to Sasuke.

Not Itachi.

Sakura's gaze suddenly darkened as she instinctively placed her hand on her stomach. It wasn't as if she could have a child anyway. She bit her lip. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it before, or remembered Tsunade's words.

_"Sakura-chan, never use the Genesis of Rebirth technique unless there is nothing else you can do."_

_"Why, Tsunade-sama?"_

_Tsunade sighed as she looked at Sakura. "Sakura, there are certain life-energies that must flow and remain for certain things to happen. You know this."_

_"Hai…"_

"_Well…" Tsunade raked a hand through her hair. "You want children, right Sakura?"_

_Sakura blushed. "When I'm _older_, Tsunade-sama! Not right NOW!" _I'm only sixteen!

_Tsunade smiled ruefully at her. "Well, to have a child…certain life energies inside of your body must be balanced and working properly."_

"_Hai." Sakura nodded, her brows knotted in confusion. "I've read about that."_

"_Sakura…" Tsunade sighed deeply. "When using the Genesis of Rebirth Technique well…it…disrupts the life energy flow patterns. The large surge of chakra used with Genesis of Rebirth…severs that life energy."_

"_Nani?" Sakura whispered. "You mean, it stops it?"_

"_Well, not all of it. That would kill you, after all. But it…significantly reduces it. And as I said before, chakra and life energy must be balanced for conception. After all, the baby will latch onto your chakra signature and use it and your life energy to survive in the womb."_

_Sakura nodded slowly._

"_Without the balance, conception cannot take place. Without the balance of the life energy, the chakra will merely kill the child instead of helping it. Even if the conception were to occur, the child would die soon afterwards. There would not be enough life energy for both you and the child. Your own health would take precedence and even without your knowledge your own chakra would kill the babe to keep it from sucking out too much of your life energy."_

_Sakura paled as she looked down at her stomach. She bit her lip. "So what you are saying is…I'd be murdering my own child?"_

"_Sakura." Tsunade forced her to look up into her eyes, which were serious yet understanding. "I learned this because I used the jutsu myself. I can no longer have children." Her lip quivered._

_She smiled cheerfully though. "It doesn't matter, I suppose. I never really…wanted children I guess. After all, I am Hokage now. I can't afford to have children at the moment."_

_Sakura watched her sympathetically. "Hai, Tsunade-sama. Thank you for…the warning. I guess it makes sense…" Sakura trailed off slowly. "To regenerate life for oneself, they must give up the ability to give life to another."_

_Sakura breathed in deeply, swearing she'd never use the jutsu unless she absolutely had to._

_After all, how could she help Sasuke rebuild his Clan if she couldn't have children? What kind of a man doesn't want his wife to give birth to their child?_

Sakura's hands shook slightly, but she stilled the movement as she noticed Itachi's gaze on her. She smiled shyly at him, pretending like nothing was wrong. She took another sip of her tea.

_So you see, Sasuke…I never would have been able to help you rebuild your Clan. That's all you wanted me for, and it can never happen._

_I'm useless to you._

Sakura looked up at Itachi once more, from behind the rim of her cup.

_But _he_ still needs me. I'm not useless to him._

"I'll be sure to tell Kisame not to flirt with me so much." Sakura put in lightly, hoping to disrupt the uncomfortable mood. "Of course, it'll be hard to do. I know how hard I am to resist." She grinned at the last part, waiting for Itachi's reaction.

"Hn."

Once again, Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "You're not being any fun."

Suddenly Itachi was behind her, his breath on her neck. Sakura froze in place, her breathing momentarily halted.

"Fun?"

"H-hai…" Sakura tried not to sound breathless as she felt his fingers on the back of her neck. _I'm starting to sound like Hinata. _Sakura almost frowned. He better not think she was going to let him toy with her the entire time.

She needed to play too.

"Well…" Sakura began, putting a finger to her lip as she leaned back slightly, feeling herself come in contact with his chest. She tipped her head back, giving him a good view of her neck, as she looked him in the eye.

"There are lots of things we could do to make this fun." _Watch it Sakura. You're sounding rather promiscuous. Like a whore._

_But he likes his whores, doesn't he?_

_That's beside the point!_

Itachi smirked as he watched her. It felt good to know he could make her breathless.

But it also felt good to know she wasn't merely going to fall down on her knees in front of him.

She would be a challenge.

His mind warned him not to play with fire. But after all, the Uchiha Clan was famous for its ability to tame and wield fire. He wasn't afraid.

He wasn't giving into her. He was merely playing with his possession.

Or so he kept telling himself.

How long had it been since he'd thought he could tame his little cherry blossom? It was taking longer than expected. Now, however, he hoped that he would be rewarded for his patience.

There was suddenly a large distance between them as the door opened and Sasori walked inside. He eyed Sakura, then Itachi.

"Haruno-san, I wished to know if you wanted to continue our training now?"

Sakura almost cursed Sasori's timing, but she supposed it had to happen sometime. At least it wasn't Kisame this time.

Itachi walked to the doorway, and Sakura frowned. She watched him as he turned to look back at her.

"Be sure to warn Kisame."

Sakura smiled rather wickedly at that as he left and Sasori raised an eyebrow at the retort, but did not ask what Itachi had meant.

Itachi had made a joke. She wondered what would happen if Kisame did what he usually did when they trained alone together, like pinch her ass to 'keep her alert'.

If Itachi saw that, then Sakura wouldn't be the _only_ one who couldn't have babies.

Sakura let out a loud laugh as she took another drink of her tea. Maybe this was the reason she had stayed with them.

For the goose bumps she got whenever Itachi touched her. For the heated sensation she felt when his fingers grazed her skin.

For him.

And that scared her slightly. She was falling for Itachi Uchiha, murderer of the Uchiha clan, missing-nin from Konoha, member of the Akatsuki, and s-class criminal.

She didn't realize that she'd already fallen.

She merely stood, heading to her room. She needed time to cool down before their meeting later that night. If things continued at this rate, she'd show him that she wasn't just a little, weakling girl.

She could be quite dominating if she wanted to be.

Of course, the thought of her dominating _Itachi Uchiha_ was a bit absurd.

Sakura merely smiled coyly to herself as she patted the scroll in her obi. She would begin her research on the effects of the Sharingan.

"We'll just see what happens, won't we Itachi?" Her voice rivaled Ino's at her most conniving.

* * *

Sakura breathed in deeply as she made the hand signs, activating the scroll's jutsu. She gave a small sigh as she bit into both thumbs, smearing the blood across her eyes. As she opened them, the Sharingan activated itself quicker than before. Her eyes were becoming used to the strain already. 

She was sitting in her room after Sasori's training. They'd trained earlier than usual, ending with enough time for Sakura to come back to her room and study the scroll before Itachi came and she…healed his eyes.

Sakura looked around the room with the Sharingan, all the while recording the information in her empty scrolls. She felt the nagging strain at the back of her eyes, agitating the nerves. No wonder Itachi had been going blind.

If he kept his Sharingan on all the time then the strain on the eyes would be unbearable. As well as the pain.

_Perhaps it isn't as painful for an actual member of the Uchiha Clan. _Sakura thought as she looked back down at the true scroll. She had reread it at least three times after using the jutsu for the first time.

Sakura tried to focus on the scroll. But it was hard to do when she realized that in a few minutes, Itachi would be sitting on the bed next to her and she would be touching him.

In a professional manner of course. As she healed his eyes.

She wasn't going to be the one to kiss _him_.

The door slid open and Sakura looked up, immediately letting go of the Sharingan. She still didn't know if Itachi was comfortable with the fact that she knew the Sharingan too.

Of course, he was the only one with the Mangekou. To get it…Sakura would need to kill her best friend.

Even if she joked about it sometimes, she would never _actually_ hurt Ino. Of course, she wouldn't tell Itachi this. He would merely tell her that it was another sign of her weakness.

"Sakura." He nodded his head in greeting as he slid the door closed.

Sakura smiled at him, trying to hide her nervousness as she breathed in deeply. "Hello Itachi. I think I can finish healing your eyes tonight." She watched him give a small, triumphant smirk.

It frightened her for a moment. After all…she would lose her usefulness afterwards, wouldn't she?

Sakura ignored the thought as she patted the spot on the bed beside her. "Well, I suppose we should get started."

"The scroll's jutsu has drained you of a lot of your chakra."

"How observant of you, Itachi." Sakura gave a small laugh. Itachi merely raised one eyebrow. Sakura supposed she should be happy he didn't try and kill her for the small joke.

"I still have enough to do the final touches. Using the Sharingan on myself I've…learned easier and less strenuous ways to heal your eyes. It shouldn't take as much chakra as I thought it would before." She placed her fingertips on his forehead. "Close your eyes."

Itachi didn't do so.

Sakura gave a small sigh. "Could you _please_ close your eyes?"

Itachi did so.

_I see. The famous Itachi Uchiha can't be _ordered_ to do something. Geeze. _Sakura shifted a bit of her chakra to her fingertips. "I see why you keep the Sharingan on all the time. You can see everything with those eyes."

"Hn."

"Itachi…you aren't mad at me, are you?"

"Hn."

"For…for having the Sharingan, I mean." Sakura whispered, unsure if she should even be explaining herself to him. He seemed to be a bit more understanding than he used to be, but that wasn't saying much.

Itachi opened one eye, looking at her in slight annoyance. "Your Sharingan is too weak to be even a minimal threat to myself."

Sakura supposed that meant, 'no, I don't mind your Sharingan, Sakura. It's fine. You can keep it'. Sakura realized that with Itachi, she would just have to try and read between the lines.

Sakura closed her eyes to focus, and placed a little more chakra into the inner workings of the eye. She had healed the iris and pupil already. The nerves were the last things on her to-do list.

"Well, that's good then. I suppose Sasuke won't be too happy with me, though."

"Hn."

Was it Sakura's imagination, or was his usual retort forced this time? It sounded a bit…angry? As if he were jealous that she was thinking about Sasuke at a time like this.

_Sakura, stop trying to read him like normal people. He's Itachi. I don't even think he's _human

Sakura opened her eyes and saw him staring at her. It made her stomach flutter, but she ignored it as she breathed in deeply. She was going to be a professional. "Itachi, I need you to deactivate your Sharingan for me."

"Hn."

He did as he was told, for once.

Sakura felt more than saw the changes in his eyesight already. The stress of maintaining the Sharingan was what was blocking the nerve endings in his eyes. If he would use it less, he'd be fine.

Otherwise, Sakura would be healing his eyes every so often.

That meant, of course, that she would not lose her usefulness.

Sakura watched his face and bit her lip. With those eyes, he looked so much like Sasuke…what would Sasuke think when he saw her Sharingan? Would he hate her for it? Would it just be one more thing to remind him of his brother?

_Oh Sasuke-kun…_

Suddenly Itachi's eyes turned back to their crimson Sharingan.

"I am not my brother, Sakura."

Sakura blinked, only then realizing—with dawning horror—that she had whispered Sasuke's name out loud.

"I…" Sakura began, looking away. "Sorry. I didn't mean it."

Itachi watched her fumbling with her words. It annoyed him that she thought of his brother, even as he sat in front of her.

_Is it because of my eyes? Does she see my brother in them when they are their normal color? _

_…perhaps that is the only reason why she allows you to kiss her, Itachi. Because of your resemblance to your brother._

_Hn. She has the nerve to whisper his name in that voice…_

_Jealous?_

_Hardly. I doubt my brother has ever kissed her like I have._

_You're jealous!_

_Dammit, I doubt he's even kissed her at _all_ before!_

Itachi grabbed Sakura's shoulders and pulled her roughly to him as he caught her mouth with his. She let out a small exclamation of surprise as she clutched at his shirt deftly, as if she didn't know where else to put her hands. His tongue slipped inside her mouth.

_Who do you think of him now, Sakura? _He thought smugly.

Suddenly Sakura's tongue darted back into his own mouth, to explore there. Itachi tried not to show how surprised he was at her action. Her hands went to his hair, and he felt her stroke it as she continued to kiss him.

Itachi's hand drifted underneath her shirt.

Sakura pulled away to breathe, but also to whisper, "…not yet." Her breathing was rapid and heavy. Her chest rose and fell unevenly as she looked up at him.

_Not yet? Who does she think she's talking to?_

Sakura watched him warily, unsure of his reaction. It wasn't as if…as if she didn't want to continue.

But for a moment, she regained her senses and realized something: if she slept with him, if she let herself go so quickly…she would feel dirty. Not because of him, but because of the fact that she had always sworn she would never have sex with a man she wasn't in love with…who didn't love her back.

She felt strange feelings for him, things she couldn't explain. But she didn't know if it was love. She doubted it could be. How could she fall in love with a murderer?

And she definitely knew he didn't love her. She was a plaything to him. A little tool that he would soon lose usefulness for.

Sakura continued to stroke his hair as her thoughts warred with one another. "You know…your hair is as soft as I thought it would be…"

Itachi looked down at her in mild surprise. All she could think about was his hair? He suddenly realized he had been pushing her too quickly. Too fast.

Then another thought came to him: why did he care?

But for some strange reason he _did_ care.

And it bothered him.

"Itachi…I should finish healing your eyes." Sakura whispered as her fingers drifted from his hair to his eyes.

Itachi nodded.

They stayed the rest of the night in silence.

**(A/N: Hm. Did you like it? Sasuke is being an idiot! Teaming up with Tomokazu is not going to make Sakura happy! Or Itachi…definitely not Itachi.**

**The sexual tension between Sakura and Itachi just keeps on building! I'm not letting them go too fast, because I want to keep them all in character. (Of course, I don't doubt that Itachi would try and make out with her as many times as possible if he could). Heh. After all, he is a guy. **

**I hope the little explanation about The Genesis of Rebirth technique and Sakura's barrenness wasn't too confusing. Poor Sakura, she wanted to be a mommy so bad:( **

**Well, Sakura is definitely in love with Itachi. I don't think any of us will deny it—except Sakura. And…I think Itachi's starting to fall in love with her too. He doesn't even notice it, but she's changing him, just like she's changed everybody else!**

**The one she's left the least affected would have to be Sasori. Hm. I might have to change that. Hehehe.**

**Well, until next time…**

**Buh-bye, Lady Hanaka**

**Question: Crime doesn't pay... does that mean my job is a crime?)**


	11. Chapter 10: Moon Theory

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto. I think we all know that by now.

**Chapter 10**

**Moon Theory**

Sakura gave a small sigh as she woke up in her bed. Alone. For some odd reason she had sort of hoped to have someone lying next to her when she awoke.

_Well you probably would have, if you hadn't gone whispering Sasuke's stupid name!_

_Who would have known it would make him so angry?_

_Well, he is an Uchiha. They get touchy when they talk about family._

_Che._

She raked a hand through her hair as she sat up in her bed. She pushed the blankets back, letting the cool, mountain air hit her legs. Small goose bumps rippled up them at the sudden change of temperature.

She walked over to the table where her scrolls on the Sharingan were placed. She looked down at the ending lines she had put down on the last scroll. The scroll she had finished writing after Itachi had left.

_I've finished healing Itachi Uchiha. His blindness no longer affects him. As long as he does not use the Sharingan continually, it should be able to stabilize the change in chakra and the strain on the eyes. If he does not, then a healer will need to be nearby to continue ministrations._

Sakura closed the scroll and slipped it into the large pack she had next to her desk. It was odd, the fact that she now had her own room and place with the _Akatsuki_. She was already collecting information on their jutsus and had written all of it down. It was funny…the fact that she seemed to be the archivist of the Akatsuki. Of course, she doubted that any of them had written down their jutsus, in a hope that they would never be found by anyone else.

That was rather stupid, when Sakura thought about it.

When they died, their jutsus would be lost forever.

Sakura wouldn't let that happen. She was starting to become a packrat when it came to jutsus. For a moment it reminded her of Orochimaru, the fact that she was drawing upon so many of them.

The variety of jutsus merely fascinated her. The fact that a mere variation of a certain number of hand signs could produce so many significant, unique jutsus.

Kekkei genkai had always fascinated her as well.

The Haruno Clan had no kekkei genkai, or if they did, it wasn't that important and Sakura didn't know it. Perhaps that was why she was so fascinated. It was something she had thought she'd never be able to experience. The strength and pride in the fact that only your clan knew a powerful, wonderful jutsu.

Sakura gave a small smile.

She had them _all_ beat now.

Sakura tugged off her sleeping gown. She would begin training with Deidara soon, but she didn't feel much like doing anything. She was tired, and she was a bit depressed.

And angry at herself for being such an idiot.

_I would expect someone like _Naruto_ to ruin a romantic moment like that, but not _you_ Sakura! Baka!  
_He was probably furious with her.

And she had finished healing his eyes.

…she no longer held a use to him.

Sakura gave another loud sigh. She didn't expect Itachi to listen to her and _not_ use his Sharingan. That meant, of course, that her work would never be done. She smirked.

She'd never _really_ loose her usefulness.

She pulled on her shorts and a large, baggy t-shirt. Casual clothes. She pulled her hair back in a sloppy bun. No reason to dress up. Not like impressing Itachi with her looks would get him to talk to her at the moment.

It hadn't worked the _last_ time.

Knock. Knock.

"You coming kitten, yeah?"

Sakura walked to her jewelry box and placed on her small little amulet with little Naruto's clay paw. She slipped it around her neck and smiled to herself. She wasn't going to let Itachi's mood affect her own. She was going to show him she wasn't _weak _enough that she'd give into her emotions and cry all day.

"Coming Deidara! I'll meet you outside!" Sakura grabbed two scrolls: an empty one to write down her experiments with the clay jutsus she'd be learning that day which also held the ones she'd been continuing to develop; and her special scroll, which she always took with her now.

She slid her door open, slipping on her sandals as she went and rushed outside, where Deidara was waiting for her, smiling.

"I have a new jutsu to teach you. I think you've graduated from simple clay birds, yeah."

Sakura grinned excitedly. "Do I get to blow things up now?" Secretly, she'd had an urge to blow up something. Maybe stick a bomb in Kisame's bath.

Deidara gave her a smile, but it was slightly nervous and worried, as if he had read her mind. Or maybe he was just worried about putting two very dangerous things together: Sakura, and explosives.

"Sure, yeah. Uh…I was going to teach you a simple exploding bird, jutsu."

Sakura whooped, and Deidara wondered if he was signing his own death certificate.

After all…she was still a bit mad at him. If he taught her something that could potentially _harm_ him, well… but her face was so endearing and excited. Deidara sighed. He was getting soft.

"Let's go then, yeah." Deidara let her walk ahead of him, and he watched her as she moved. She looked good in the short, tight shorts. The long shirt skimmed her thighs, and it hung loosely across her body. It didn't hug her figure. She never seemed to worry about impressing men that way, which Deidara liked about her.

She was down to earth and humble. She hadn't even done anything special with her hair, merely put it up in a messy bun. In her clothes now, he could envision her planting flowers in a garden, a large straw hat on her head.

She'd look breathtaking surrounded by flowers.

Deidara blinked as he realized Sakura was talking to him. She looked back with one eyebrow raised, hands on her hips. "Are you coming or not, lazy?"

"Lazy, yeah?"

Sakura grinned. "Uh-huh. Better keep up, or I'll be better at clay jutsus than you."

"You take too long to mold the clay, yeah." Deidara countered.

"_I_ don't have a special mouth on my hand to chew the clay for me." Sakura called back over her shoulder, skipping ahead of him. It was at these times that Deidara thought he saw a glimpse of the younger Sakura.

She had probably always let her emotions get to her. She probably clobbered anyone in reach when she was angry. She would have been an interesting teammate on any Genin team.

It must have been hard for her, however. She had been on a team with the Uchiha prodigy and the Kyuubi. She must have felt weak and inadequate.

_But look at you now, Sakura-chan. You're better than any of them._ Deidara shook his head with a small laugh as Sakura plopped herself down in the grass, waiting for him to sit down in front of her.

"See, you're slow!"

* * *

"Shikamaru!" Ino yelled out in a panic. She felt herself slammed against a tree trunk and she let out a small gasp of pain. The ground where Shikamaru had stood exploded into dirt and dust.

Temari was surrounded by at least ten Cloud shinobi. She was swinging her fan, and the maelstroms she was creating were causing all of them to lose their balance. Ino wondered if maybe one of her swings had gone awry and that was what had slammed her into the tree. After all, there were no enemy shinobi coming after her.

Shikamaru landed on the ground beside Ino. "Don't worry, Ino. Let's let Temari and Naruto handle this one."

That was his polite way of saying, 'you can't handle this level of battle, so I'll stay here and protect you in case any of the shinobi get past Naruto and Temari'. It hurt, but then the truth usually does.

Ino frowned at the thought. She knew she wasn't strong but they were making her look like a little weakling! It wasn't _her_ fault she had been stuck in a group of some of the strongest shinobi in all of Konoha and Suna.

She was a great shinobi. She was an ANBU after all! But…she knew she wasn't one of the strongest. She was like Hinata, Choji, or Tenten, a filler on the team when they needed an extra member. One of the extras in ANBU that they could put somewhere when the teams weren't even.

Naruto was using his Rasengan on three of the Cloud Jônin, his shadow clones making duplicates of the move. Temari was using her sickle winds once more.

Shikamaru shoved Ino down into a crouch as one of the gusts shot at them, cutting the tree behind them in half. "The point is to actually _hit_ the enemy, Temari." Shikamaru called out lazily.

Temari found an opening in one of her enemy's attacks to flip Shikamaru off.

Shikamaru couldn't help but smirk slightly as he shook his head. "Che. Women. So troublesome."

"I never knew Naruto had such a large amount of chakra. That's an s-rank attack, isn't it? Like Chidori?"

"Hai."

"But Sasuke could only use Chidori twice when he left with Orochimaru. Naruto used Rasengan a _lot_ more than that."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Naruto has more chakra."

Ino nodded as she continued to watch Temari and Naruto literally kick Cloud ass.

It ended quickly, and Temari was folding her fan as Naruto whooped and ranted about his superb skill and the fact that they all would have lost if he hadn't been there.

"You're so immature, Naruto." Ino snapped out. _Well, Sakura isn't here to do it. I might as well make fun of the little idiot in her place._

Naruto stuck his tongue out at her. The action looked weird on his nineteen-year-old face. He looked more mature now, but he sure didn't act like it.

_He'll always be Naruto._

Temari kicked one of the groaning Cloud shinobi. She lifted him up off of the ground, slamming him into a tree. Shikamaru, Ino, and Naruto winced. She was scary sometimes.

"I have a question for you." Temari smiled at him. "Answer nicely and I'll let you go, alright?"

"Sand bitch." The Cloud Jônin spat.

SLAM.

Naruto and Ino cringed. Shikamaru's eyes had narrowed at the insult to his wife.

"You haven't even begun to see bitchy." Temari still smiled. She turned to Ino. "Ino, I don't think he's going to cooperate. Can you search his mind?"

Ino nodded slowly, walking over. She grinned at Temari, seeing her plan. "Of course. What should I be looking for?"

The man looked between the two of them nervously.

"Oh, I want to know if he's seen any Akatsuki members around this area lately. But while you're in there, why don't you find us his greatest fear?" Temari shrugged. "Anything that you want to do."

Ino grinned as she began making hand signs.

The man gave a small gasp. "No, no, that's alright. Er. If it's the Akatsuki you were wondering about I…"

"Hm?" Temari raised one eyebrow as she held up her hand for Ino to stop her jutsu. "And?" _My god, he's a pushover. What kind of a Jônin is he?_

"It was said they passed through here…a month or so ago. Someone said they might have a base up in the mountains somewhere, but that mountain range is humongous. Our Kage just decided to let it go."

Temari slammed her fingers into a pressure point, knocking the man unconscious before she dropped him.

"You know, he's going to remember you." Shikamaru pointed out. "We're going to be enemies of the Cloud village now."

"Well, they shouldn't have attacked us!" Naruto yelled out. "We didn't do anything wrong, believe it!"

Shikamaru sighed. "Alright, let's go. We have a lot of ground to cover."

Temari looked up at the large mountain range that loomed over the forest. "Pick a mountain, any mountain." She joked softly.

"That's about how it's going to work." Shikamaru gave a small sigh. "If you were Akatsuki, which mountain would you live on?"

"The biggest!" Naruto supplied.

"Alright, we go for the smallest one." Ino teased.

Naruto stuck out his tongue.

Temari slung an arm around Shikamaru. "Alright hun, this is when your analytical skills are going to come in handy."

Shikamaru gave a sigh as he placed his fingertips together, breathing in deeply. "Che. This is such a drag." He closed his eyes and thought. Thousands of choices and theories flashed through his mind. It seemed like forever before he finally opened his eyes.

"We should split up." Naruto suggested.

"You idiot! If the Akatsuki caught us alone we'd be toast! Not even _you_ can fight off Akatsuki on your own."

"Che." Naruto grunted.

Shikamaru gave another loud sigh. "We'll head _there_." He nodded his head at the second-to-last peak. "After going through what we know of the Akatsuki and their earlier hideouts and the way they think, that's the best I can come up with at the moment."

"It's better than anything else we can think of." Temari put in. "Let's go."

"Right." Ino nodded.

"YEAH! Let's head OUT—" Naruto grinned.

"…Believe it." Shikamaru, Ino, and Temari finished under their breath. They all looked at each other and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

When Naruto asked what they were laughing at, none of them had the ability to answer between their laughter.

* * *

Sakura sat down on the porch with Kisame, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she grinned at him. "You need to watch yourself, twinkle-toes. I almost got you."

Kisame grunted. "I'm sick, that's why."

Sakura reached out and placed her hand on his forehead. "Nope. Not even a cold, Kisame. You seem to forget that you can't fake it around a medic-nin." She grabbed her glass of water that had been waiting for her return from training and gulped half of it down.

"Hey kitten, want to explain to me why Itachi's been glaring daggers at me ever since the night he and Deidara fought?"

Sakura snickered. "I don't know why. You should go ask him."

"Ha." Kisame snorted. "I don't have a death wish, kitten."

Sakura looked up at the sunset. She liked sunsets. Mainly because of their colors. Pink, orange, red, yellow, gold, even some purple and blue.

Sakura had always liked to find pretty things the same color as her hair. It helped her to remember that pink was a pretty color, and that she shouldn't feel stupid because of her hair.

It didn't really help, but she'd grown out of it. So what if she was one of the only people in Konoha—probably in the _world_—who had pink hair?

At least she wasn't a guy.

She'd never have heard the end of it.

The air was cool, but not cold. She liked that about the mountains. She wondered when they'd be leaving. She didn't want to, but she knew that good things didn't last forever, and that they would be moving out soon.

The Akatsuki never remained in one place for very long.

Where would they go?

Mist? Grass? Waterfall? Sand? Back to Stone? Sound? _Leaf_?

The possibilities were endless.

She was completely free. No attachments. No responsibility to anyone but herself. And she loved it. She'd never felt such freedom. She'd always been held back. It wasn't as if she had hated it, but it had always been restricting to never be able to leave Konoha without a reason. Sometimes she had just wanted to get away.

That's why she'd become ANBU. Longer missions. Farther away from home.

A taste of what she now had a full-course meal of.

"Kisame, how long has it been since you've been to mist?"

"Che." Kisame leaned back against one of the house beams. "I dunno. Years. Why?"

"When we were there last, we met up with a man named Zabuza Momochi. He was one of the shinobi swordsmen. Did you know him?"

Kisame let out a small laugh. "He was a weak little twerp."

"He was not!" Sakura countered. "He was pretty strong when my team fought him."

"You were Genin though, weren't you?" Kisame raised one eyebrow. "If you fought him now, you'd see the difference."

Sakura shrugged. "Whatever. I liked his sword though."

"Better than Samehada?"

"Well, you never let me actually _wield_ Samehada." Sakura answered back.

"I gave you an imitation."

"Yeah, and they keep _breaking_." Sakura sighed deeply with a frown. "How do you expect me to get better if you keep giving me swords that break?"

"Suck it up, kitten." Kisame grinned. "You'll survive."

Sakura stood with a sigh. "I suppose I should go take a shower before I train with Sasori."

"Need any company?"  
Sakura looked back at him with a grin.

"_That's_ why Itachi's been glaring at you."

Kisame let the thought sink in as the door closed behind Sakura and she walked inside the house.

Kisame then grinned.

_And here I thought you were just another emotionless bastard, Itachi. _

_Good to see I was wrong._

Kisame then stood and headed inside.

He needed a drink.

* * *

Sakura sat in her room, contemplating. Her scroll sat on the bed in front of her, staring straight back.

She reached out a hand to pick it up, but stopped herself. She gave a small sigh as she laced her fingers together, resting her chin on them as she continued staring.

This wasn't the first time she'd done this. Usually every night before bed. Contemplation. Worry. Decisions…

Sakura gave a small sigh. What should she do with it? She was surprised that Itachi wasn't demanding that she teach him the jutsu. She wondered if he thought he was so powerful that it didn't matter.

No one else knew about it. Sasori might have thought something was up, but he didn't know what. Kisame was probably oblivious. Deidara well, Sakura didn't think it really mattered if he knew. He wouldn't hold anything against her.

Sakura raked a hand through her hair, sighing deeply in frustration. The scroll was glaring at her, or so it seemed.

It was oh so tempting to rip it to shreds right there. Sakura pouted slightly, still trying to understand why she wanted to destroy it.

Was it because she thought it was too powerful for anyone? Or was it because…she was jealous and didn't want anyone else to have it? She knew that wasn't true.

She was scared, in a sense. Of what the scroll could do in the wrong hands. What if Orochimaru had used it? He could have destroyed Konoha without a problem.

_He never would have taken Sasuke then. He had the scroll he needed all along but he never once used it. What…what would have happened if he had been able to decipher the code?_

_I probably wouldn't be alive now anyway. And neither would Sasuke or Naruto._

_It would have been a moot point. _

Sakura sighed deeply as she reached out and picked up the scroll with one hand. She rang her fingers along the edge, deep in thought.

What if Tomokazu learned the jutsu?

Sakura shivered in response to the thought, walking towards the window. Would the Leader of the Akatsuki want to learn the jutsu? He was said to be extremely powerful anyway. Surely he wouldn't need it.

But Tomokazu…

_What would be best for all of the shinobi world? For Konoha?_

She propped her elbows on the windowsill looking at the night sky.

_What is best for the people I love?_

She felt the fire rise through her hand, consuming the scroll. She saw the edges of it blacken and curl, before it became ash in her hands.

This was all that remained of the greatest jutsu in the world.

She cupped her palm, closing her eyes as she exhaled, sending the ashes into the wind. She was letting it go. She needed to. She needed to know that no one would ever find out what was in that scroll.

It was a sad thought, as she realized that Tomokazu would now hunt her down to the ends of the earth.

But she could survive if he captured her. She would kill herself and he would never learn the jutsu. The world would be safe.

Besides…he couldn't live forever. If she merely escaped his grasp until he died of old age, she could then rest in peace. Perhaps she would find an apprentice and teach the jutsu to them, so that the knowledge would never completely disappear.

Sakura smiled at the thought. What kind of person in their right mind would want to be trained by a missing-nin from Konoha?

Perhaps it could become the kekkei genkai of the Haruno Clan.

Of course, there would be no Haruno Clan now. She had been her mother and father's only child. The only heir of the entire Haruno Clan. And she could never have children.

Sakura's brows furrowed for another moment. Why was she so sure Tomokazu was going to capture her? He wouldn't. She had Kisame, Sasori, and Deidara to protect her.

…and Itachi.

She knew, strangely enough, that he would never let her fall into Tomokazu's hands—He would never let his _possession_ fall into Tomokazu's hands.

And that made her smile.

It was strangely comforting.

Sakura gave a small sigh before she closed her window, slipping into bed. She snuggled into the covers, but didn't close her eyes. She merely wrapped the blanket fully around herself and sat there…thinking.

The room was too hot to think in. Sakura slipped off the bed, taking her blanket with her as she opened her window once more and jumped through it. She placed a small amount of chakra into her feet and walked up the wall of the temple, finally getting to the roof.

She stopped when she realized that she wasn't the only one with such thoughts. Itachi was looking up at the night sky. It was cute. It reminded Sakura of the first time she had told him she'd heal his eyes. He had kissed her…and she had felt something then.

She pulled her blanket tighter around her as she sat down beside him. He didn't look at her, or acknowledge her presence at all.

It didn't bother her. She was used to getting the cold shoulder from him. She merely looked up at the sky as well. There were quite a few stars out. And the moon shone brightly.

It usually wasn't this bright. She supposed it had something to with being so high in the mountains. She smiled a small smile as she reached up her hand. She wanted to grab it. She wondered what it would look like, cupped in the palm of her hands?

It was a foolish thought. She knew the moon was merely rock. But it looked so ethereal and mysterious in the air. Like a piece of heaven. She wondered what heaven felt like.

"It's so beautiful, isn't it?" She whispered.

"Hn."

"The moon, I mean." She continued tracing its outline with her fingers. She felt Itachi look at her, but she continued, staring up into the sky. She could almost _feel_ it. "It's one of those things that never change. The moon is always there, even when you can't see it."

Itachi continued to watch her. "The moon changes."

Sakura looked at him, drifting out of her musings. "It looks different, but it's always there. Even if you can't see _all_ of the moon sometimes, it's still there. I wish people were like that."

"The moon hides behind clouds."

"It still does the same things it always does. It still rises every night and goes down before daybreak. And it's still there. You still know that even if you can't see it, the moon is somewhere in the sky. With people…they change and alter themselves completely, so that it's hard to see what they used to be."

"Hn."

"I wish they'd just show themselves and their feelings. I wish they didn't try and hide and change, to make themselves look like something they aren't." She stopped with a sigh. "I wish people were like the moon."

"They aren't."

Sakura gave a small sigh at his flat answer. She frowned. "That doesn't mean they can't do it. They can still _try_."

"It's easier to lie than to be honest, Sakura."

"You would know." Sakura bit back. She and Itachi hadn't had such an extended conversation for a long while. It was weird. A few sentences were the most she had ever gotten out of him.

"I do not lie." Itachi turned to her with a small smirk. "Lying is for the weak."

"I see." Sakura tried to sound serious, but she couldn't help but smile. "And we all know _you_ aren't weak. But I'm honest too. Does that mean _I'm_ strong?"

_I've got you._

_Come on, say it! Say it!_

"Merely because I stated that to lie is weakness, I did not say that honesty is strength. It is merely the only other option."

Sakura frowned. _Darn it. I can never win, can I?_

"But if I don't lie, that means I'm not weak."

"Deceit is merely one weakness."

Sakura sighed. "So you mean I have more than one?"

"Hn."

Sakura rolled her eyes, before playfully brushing a few strands of his hair out of his eyes. She didn't even realize what she had done as she leaned in and whispered softly. "Insulting me isn't going to get me to kiss you, baka."

But her lips inched forward anyway. Her mind was screaming at her. _Baka!? You called him BAKA? And you TOUCHED him? Are you insane!?_

But his lips met hers as well.

It was a small kiss, not a passionate one, because Sakura pulled away slightly as she heard a sound in the distance. She reached into the folds of her blanket, where her kunai was placed.

Silence.

Sakura looked back at Itachi, who was watching her amusedly. "It was a bird."

Sakura blushed at that, looking down at her feet. She shifted in the blanket, placing her kunai back into its place. "Oh."

There was a long moment of silence.

"You know, I think I like crimson better than midnight blue, anyway." Sakura stood. She smiled back at him. "Besides, if you keep them that way, I'll have to stick around and heal them."

Then she headed back inside.

Itachi watched her, slightly confused. He supposed it was her way of an apology for what she had said the night before…how she had seen Sasuke when looking at Itachi himself.

But she liked crimson better than blue.

Itachi more than Sasuke.

Itachi couldn't help but smile at that. A true smile. It was small, but complete.

And of course, there was no one there to see it.

**(A/N: Itachi SMILED!!!!!!!!!!! (-huge grin-) Sorry. I was excited.**

**-Sigh- I hope this wasn't awkward. I've been really busy this week. So much work…grrr…I'm hoping to get in a new chapter by the end of the weekend, but I can't make any promises. Sorry if this one was short.**

**So, Sakura is taking charge now! Yes! We need her a little more dominant. Not too much, though. I like Sakura's moon theory, and I think it's true. More Tomokazu and Sasuke in the next chapter.**

**Plus some Neji and them. Some flashbacks, most likely. But mainly…Sakura and Itachi of course! Yay Akatsuki! **

**(oh, and I hope no one took me saying I wanted Sakura to get closer to Sasori seriously. I was kidding. Dear lord, the last thing we need is MORE people going after Sakura. Now that Deidara's gotten a LITTLE bit over her, we finally have just her and Itachi…well Neji of course, but he doesn't really count at the moment 'cause he's all the way who-knows-where.)**

**Ahem. So, anyway, I guess that's it. **

**Until next time, Lady Hanaka signs off!**

**Question: Do you realize how many holes there could be if people would just take the time to take the dirt out of them?)**


	12. Chapter 11: Crimson Clouds

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and I'm too tired to make a witty remark about it.

**Chapter 11**

**Crimson Clouds and Cherry Blossoms**

Sakura awoke the next morning in considerably higher spirits as she remembered the night before. She touched her lips, closing her eyes. Yes, she was definitely happy with last night's events.

She grinned to herself as she sat up, slipping out of bed. _My, my, I'm in deep, aren't I? _It was a joke, and she didn't take it seriously, even if in the back of her mind it rang true. Deep in love with Itachi Uchiha?

She slipped on her yukata and slacks, yawning. She didn't do anything at all with her hair, too lazy to think about anything else. She trudged down the hallway, closing her door behind her.

She was met in the kitchen by a chorus of 'good mornings' by the collective Akatsuki. Everyone was present except Itachi. She smiled as she sat down next to Sasori. "Sorry if I slept in." She stretched languidly. "Did I miss anything?"

Kisame grinned. "Nah. Nothing good happens until _you_ come in, kitten."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Sure. You all look awake. Seriously, what did I miss?"  
Deidara merely smiled at her, a reassuring smile. But it was a little nervous and worried. He busied himself with his tea.

Kisame grunted, before downing his morning glass of sake.

Sasori was the one who answered her, lacing his fingers together and gazing back at her seriously. There was no comfort in his stare, however, like in Deidara's and Kisame's. It unnerved her slightly.

"Leader has requested to meet with you."

If a pin had dropped at that moment, it would have echoed forever.

* * *

Tsunade gave a small sigh as she shuffled through her papers. She ran a hand through her hair as she took a drink of her sake. She placed the cup back down, looking once more at the files in front of her.

Orochimaru was dead.

Sound had a new leader.

The question was: Who?

Tsunade gave a louder, more agitated sigh as she took another drink. She didn't have time to deal with this. An envoy from Sound had come, saying his Kage wanted to sign a peace treaty with Konoha, since their new leader wanted to make amends.

_Oi._

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune walked inside, her voice cheerful. "We have news from Neji and his group. They met Sasuke Uchiha, but he was aided by someone and escaped." She frowned. "It seems as if Sasuke Uchiha still has ties somewhere, with someone who still wants to help him."

"It isn't Sakura, if that's what you're thinking." Tsunade muttered. She doubted Sakura would even look at the Uchiha anymore. No one, not even someone as forgiving as Sakura, could excuse Sasuke for what he had done. He had tried to kill her. He had sworn to do so.

"Well, oh…" Shizune sighed. "I guess that makes sense. But Sakura-chan was in love with him for a very long time, wasn't she? Perhaps she still has feelings for him."

"Sakura would not have helped Sasuke Uchiha out of that situation." Tsunade answered back. "For one, she would not have been alone, she would have been with the Akatsuki. Two: Sakura is strong, but I don't know anyone who can mask their chakra as well as Neji said they did. Even he and Hinata's Byakugan couldn't trace them. Someone with that speed is not Sakura."

"Hai." Shizune nodded. "Tsunade…what if Sakura is really a missing-nin now?"

"She isn't." Tsunade answered curtly.

"I'm not implying that Sakura would intentionally harm Konoha but…" Shizune sighed, before her tone became serious. "The Akatsuki Leader could most likely torture the information out of her if she didn't comply with his questions. Sakura was your student and assistant. She has been in the Hokage's—_your_—inner circle and knows the workings of the entire village."

Tsunade frowned, "You think I don't know that? Shizune, I have faith in Sakura. She's not like Sasuke Uchiha. She did not run away for power, or strength, or vengeance. She ran away because that was the only thing she could do at that time. She couldn't stay near him, so she left. It has nothing to do with the loyalty she holds to her village. If she was really a traitor, than we would probably all be dead right now."

"What…what if the Akatsuki are using her to lead Naruto to them?"

Tsunade stopped. Like she had said earlier, she had faith in Sakura…but what if she was being used? It would make sense. Sakura was a smart girl, a wonderful shinobi. But sometimes, Tsunade believed she had always been a little too trusting.

"Then I am sure Sakura will fight to protect Naruto."

"You seem certain."

"Sakura will protect the people she loves."

Shizune looked back at Tsunade as she made her way to the door. She knew a dismissal when she heard one. "Tsunade-sama…"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry." Then the door closed behind her.

Sorry for what? For the fact that Tsunade never seemed to get any peace? For the fact that everyone she ever became attached to disappeared forever? For the fact that she was supposed to be one of the strongest shinobi in the world and yet she could do nothing but sit back and watch?

Tsunade merely downed the rest of her sake.

* * *

Sakura settled the butterflies in her stomach as they whipped through the trees. She was wearing her old Akatsuki cloak, the one she had been given. Sasori had explained that it would be best for her if she wore it.

Deidara had reassured her that when they were finished talking with Leader, they would head back to Cloud as soon as possible.

Sakura merely nodded numbly at him. Would she be heading back with them? That was the question she kept asking herself. Was Leader angry that she wouldn't join? Had…had Itachi said something about the scroll and now Leader wanted her to give it to him?

That thought made her slightly sick. After all, the scroll was destroyed. The only one who knew the jutsu was Sakura herself. She played with the hem of her sleeve, which she always seemed to do when she was nervous. She bit her lip as well.

"Don't worry about it, kitten. We'll be home in time for me to kick you ass in practice." Kisame joked.

No one laughed. No one even smiled.

Deidara seemed worried. He wouldn't even talk to Sakura. Sasori was as calm and emotionless as ever, although he did seem a bit disturbed at the news.

And Itachi…well, he wasn't there. Deidara told her that he had been sent on a mission earlier that morning. She wondered if he even knew that Leader had called for her.

"Kakuzu and Hidan will probably be there." Kisame grunted. "Che. They can be annoying sometimes. I don't know about anyone else. Zetsu, most likely. But the other one may not—"

"Are you finished yet, yeah?" Deidara snapped out. "I'm sure Sakura-chan doesn't want to hear about it." I_ don't._

Sakura watched him worriedly. He was cranky, annoyed…and a little scared. She could tell. He kept fidgeting, putting his hand in his pocket then taking them out again. He would look back at Sakura when he thought she wasn't looking.

And if he was afraid, then Sakura was petrified.

She'd heard stories about the Akatsuki leader. He was strong, intelligent, ruthless…and a mystery. No one outside of the Akatsuki knew who he was. It was impossible to guess. No one knew how old he was. But to demand the respect—or fear—of all of the Akatsuki members—of _Itachi_, was intimidating, to say the least.

She was dreading every step she took because they led her further away from the security of the home she had just found, and closer and closer to one of her greatest fears: the unknown.

Sasori turned to Sakura, almost seeing her thoughts above her head, as if they were visible. She was scared. She was worried that Leader might be angry with her for not joining the Akatsuki.

Sasori rubbed the sore spot he had gained along his chest. It was true; Leader had definitely not been pleased when Sasori had told him. But surely he had gotten over it by now? Sasori sighed. He was getting tired of all of this. And in truth, he was a little worried for Sakura.

That in itself was strange. He had always prided himself on not really caring at all about anyone. He supposed, however, after watching her change everyone else, it was only natural that she should affect _him_ as well. Besides, she was pleasant to talk with. And she actually _liked_ talking. Not only that, she actually had intelligent answers to his questions.

But Sasori didn't believe that Leader would kill her. He also didn't believe that Deidara—or even Kisame—would let him. They cared too much for Sakura for their own good. And Kakuzu and Hidan seemed to like her a little bit as well. They might support her.

_It is rather ironic, that the greatest weakness of the Akatsuki is a pink-haired kunoichi who wouldn't harm a fly if she didn't have to._

However, if Leader _did_ decide to get physical…well…Sasori was merely glad that Itachi had been sent away on a mission. Otherwise, things could have gotten messy. Itachi didn't usually let it show, but Sasori had glimpsed inside of his mind once or twice, and he knew that Itachi would kill anyone who touched his blossom.

He wasn't as good at hiding his emotions as he thought.

"Alright kitten, this is it." Kisame grinned as they landed in front of a large cave. "Just smile politely and nod whenever you feel like it."

"Funny." Sakura bit back as she looked up at the mouth of the cave. She swallowed, trying to wet her dry throat. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Sasori. He nodded with a small smile, and it reassured Sakura somewhat.

She breathed in deeply as they headed inside.

* * *

Neji continued running through the trees. Kiba and Akamaru dashed and raced across tree limbs just behind him. It irked Neji slightly, but he decided to ignore it.

"Let us race, Tenten! I need a challenge." Lee pleaded. "Please? You, Choji, and Hinata can race against me. I promise I will keep my weights on."

Neji frowned. Why were they acting so immature? This was a serious mission.

_"Oi. Neji-san, this is a serious mission. We need to pay attention. _Not_ question each other about their personal lives!" Sakura bit out, her cheeks stained a bright red. _

_Neji smirked. "You still haven't answered my question."_

_"And I'm not going to." Sakura finished smoothly, pulling a kunai out of her pack. She and Neji were sitting outside of a small mountain village. The snow fell slowly, but it was picking up speed. _

_Sakura breathed out, her breath turning into steam. Neji continued to watch her. She was so beautiful, in her black ANBU outfit, her face serious and calm. Her cat mask was placed on her back. Both of them had taken their masks off to eat. _

_Shikamaru was in the town a few miles away. _

_It was one of their first ANBU missions. Especially as a group. They had all been surprised with the fact, since all three of them were rookie ANBU. But Neji supposed the rest of the ANBU were busy._

_"It's freezing." Sakura's voice shook. "How long have we been out here?"_

_"A few days."_

_"What's taking Shikamaru so long? Surely the assassination can't be so difficult."_

_"Shikamaru is lazy. No doubt he's sleeping right now."_

_"In a bed…" Sakura sighed._

_"With hot food."_

_"And a bath…"_

_Neji smirked, "Not to mention beautiful women to wait on him hand and foot."_

_Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Oh yes, that must be a letdown for you. Want me to call Shikamaru back so you can go bask in female affection, Neji-san?"_

_"I don't need it."_

_"Hm?"_

_"I'm with you."_

_Sakura blushed again, but she ignored it as she took a bite of her rations. "If Shikamaru doesn't come back by tomorrow, we're going in."_

_Suddenly Neji was behind her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close to him. She stiffened, letting out a small yelp. _

_"N-Neji-san! I demand you let go this instant! What on earth are you doing?"_

_Neji smirked, "If you have not noticed, Haruno-san, we are both freezing. The best way to retain heat is to share body warmth." He breathed in her scent, memorizing the feel of her against him._

_"Oh." She sounded embarrassed. She looked back over her shoulder at him, still blushing slightly. "I suppose you're right." There was a long moment of silence as they both sat there._

_"Are you going to answer my question yet, Haruno-san?"_

_"Not in a million years." Sakura answered acerbically. "That's my answer."_

_Neji chuckled. "I'll take that as a challenge."_

_"You do that." Sakura's voice was teasing._

_"I'm quite the charmer, Haruno-san. I am sure I can get the information out of you sooner or later."_

_"Good luck. You're going to need it." She commented._

_Neji's hold around her waist tightened as he whispered in her ear. "I'm not worried. I seem to be very lucky as of late." _

Neji supposed his luck was finally wearing off.

* * *

Sakura stared at the people in front of her. The semi-darkness made it hard to make out any of the figures. She recognized the outlines of Zetsu, Kakuzu, and Hidan. There was also someone whose hair glinted blue in the fading candlelight, and another figure standing beside Zetsu.

And then there was the leader.

Sakura supposed it was normal that she could barely see him. Most likely he wanted to continue to shroud himself in mystery, even to his own men. She tried to find something that she could identify him with, but the darkness consumed him completely.

Kisame grunted as he shifted Samehada on his back. It was the only sound in the entire cave, and it echoed off of the high stone ceiling. The sound reverberated so loudly, that Sakura almost had the urge to put her hands to her ears.

Deidara was silent beside her. The only thing she saw of him in the darkness was one bright blue eye.

Sasori was a calm, steady reminder that she wasn't alone. Kisame seemed actually _nervous_, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Deidara wasn't even trying to hide his nervousness.

Sakura fleetingly wished that Itachi were there.

"Sakura Haruno." The one who greeted her was the Leader. She tried to pick out something significant about his voice, but even it was impossible to really memorize. It was a complex mixture of many voices, yet it was completely clear. She wondered if he did that to keep people like herself from recognizing him later in the world.

Sakura didn't really know how to greet him back, so she merely bowed deeply. She supposed that was all she could really do at the moment.

The blue-haired Akatsuki snorted. Sakura ignored it. Zetsu finally spoke, as if he were the mouthpiece of the Leader.

"Leader-sama has asked that Sakura Haruno be brought to this meeting for one reason and one reason only." This was his calm, cool voice.

Sakura breathed in deeply as she looked Zetsu square in the eye.

"She would not join the Akatsuki when welcomed to do so earlier this year." He began, in his icy cold voice that always seemed angry.

Sakura flinched. So, this was it. They were going to kill her for not taking up their offer. She felt Deidara stiffen beside her, and she wondered if he was going to jump to her rescue. She heard a soft rumble and realized that it was Kisame growling, trying to control himself.

Sasori remained completely calm and aloof to the tension in the air.

Well, at least she had _two_ people she could count on. Three, if Sasori was merely acting calm and indifferent as an act.

"However," Zetsu began, going back to the calm voice. "After recent events, including the death of Orochimaru and the betrayal of Tomokazu, the Akatsuki have decided to introduce two new members. One, Tobi, was decided upon earlier this month. He has taken Tomokazu's old place."

Sakura looked up at the member beside of Zetsu. All she could see was one eye, and what looked like a mask with two different colors swirled together.

That was one member. Did that mean…?

"Sakura Haruno has been promoted for Orochimaru's old position."

Sakura blinked. They still wanted her as Akatsuki?

_Sakura…don't you dare do this!_ Her mind screamed. _If you do, you will never be allowed inside of Konoha. You will be a traitor to them forever. There will be no forgiveness._

Sakura breathed in a steady breath.

"If she does not consent, she will be killed, of course."

Sakura had known that was coming.

_The Akatsuki kill innocents, Sakura! Don't turn into a merciless killer!  
…so have I…_

_Don't give in! What will Itachi say? He said you aren't strong enough to become Akatsuki!_

_But his opinion doesn't matter at the moment, does it? Don't I want to show him that I'm strong? I'm sick and tired of him thinking that I am weak._

_Sakura…any hope that you clung to of ever getting Sasuke back will disappear the moment you become Akatsuki._

_…I know…_

"Do you accept this position, Sakura Haruno?" Cold, angry Zetsu this time. He was getting impatient. The others shifted. Deidara was clenching his hands. Kisame's hand was on the hilt of Samehada. Sasori looked slightly concerned.

_I've always said it…I've told myself this over and over again…_

_…if I could turn back time…_

_…I wouldn't…_

"I accept."

* * *

Sakura headed back silently with Kisame, Sasori, and Deidara. None of the spoke. Sakura wondered if perhaps they were angry with her for her choice. Did they want her to decline so that they could have defended her against the others?

Sakura felt slightly uncomfortable. Her first mission as Akatsuki had been made clear, even if it was unspoken:

Get her ring from Orochimaru's corpse.

That, of course, consisted of getting it from Tomokazu. She and Tobi were both in for one hell of a fight, if it came to that. After all, he had to get Tomokazu's ring.

Sakura swallowed. No one spoke. They'd been traveling like this for at least twenty or so minutes.

Finally Kisame stopped, jumping onto the ground. Sakura, Deidara, and Sasori landed as well.

Sakura breathed in deeply, getting ready for one of the outbursts she was used to from Kisame.

Instead, she felt herself enveloped in a large hug. Sakura blinked, eyes wide. Kisame was _hugging_ her.

"Way to go, kitten. You're Akatsuki now."

Sakura continued to stand there, completely baffled and confused. Kisame was hugging her and complimenting her? What kind of a strange, alternate universe had she gotten herself thrown into?

Kisame ruined the tender moment by pinching her ass.

Sakura slapped him across the face, frowning. "Cut it out, Kisame." She gave a small huff as she placed her hands on her hips. She supposed the look wasn't as intimidating as it should have been, since she was wearing her Akatsuki cloak that hid most of the action inside of its dark folds.

"Did you just grope my kitten, yeah?" Deidara accused. "You're a dead man, Kisame!"

Sasori gave a small sigh as Deidara and Kisame began arguing about who's right it was to call Sakura 'kitten' and whose right it was to pinch her butt.

"Congratulations, Haruno-san. I knew you would make the right decision."

"Why didn't you tell Itachi?"

Sasori sighed. "We both know what he would have said."

Sakura nodded numbly. "That I'm too weak to be Akatsuki."

"Itachi's opinion isn't the one that truly matters, at the moment. After hearing accounts from myself, Deidara, Kisame, Kakuzu, Hidan, and even Zetsu, Leader was the one who said he wanted to offer you the job a second time." Sasori saw her shocked expression. "Perhaps he sees in you something that Itachi does not."

"Now that I am in Akatsuki…will I have to try and get a demon? Like Naruto's Kyuubi?" _I'll never hunt down anyone like that, just to get a demon. Especially not Naruto. _

Sasori shrugged. "Leader will decide that."

Sakura nodded. "Hai." She turned to listen to the heated conversation that Kisame and Deidara were still having.

"I made the name up, so I get to call her kitten anytime I want to. And I've trained her before, so I get to pinch her ass anytime I want to."

"That doesn't make any sense, yeah!" Deidara countered. "That means that since I've trained her, I get to um…touch her too."

"It's a bonding experience, Deidara."

"_Bonding_!?" Deidara sputtered. "You touched Sakura-chan's _butt_!"

Sakura couldn't help but get in on the conversation, giving a teasing smile as she slung an arm around Deidara's shoulders, and then one around Kisame's as she answered back.

"Well, you have him beat, Deidara. You got to see a lot more of me than he did."

Deidara blushed a deep red.

Kisame grunted. "Well, I saw you naked in the bath, so that doesn't count."

"You're just jealous." Sakura snickered. "But I'm flattered that both of you want to fight about who gets to pinch my ass. So, here's your answer:

"BOTH OF YOU CAN JUST KEEP THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BUTT!"

Sasori gave a small smile as he shook his head. Sakura looked back at him from where Deidara and Kisame were still arguing now about who had the right to call her kitten, since the butt topic was now taboo. She grinned, winking as she pulled her Akatsuki hat further down, hiding her eyes from view as they all once again headed back to Cloud.

Home.

* * *

Sakura gratefully fell into bed. She was tired, and her nerves were shot. So much nervous tension had almost caused her to snap. She needed to sleep. Sasori was still awake in the main temple room, working on something. Kisame was getting drunk in the kitchen, and Deidara was most likely asleep in his room.

After a few congratulatory drinks that Kisame had insisted on, Sakura, Deidara, and Kisame were all feeling a small buzz. That was another thing that Sakura needed to sleep off.

She swore she would never wake up to a hangover like Kisame, but she was too tired to soothe it at the moment. She supposed she deserved it. Challenging Kisame to another drinking contest wasn't a good idea. She should have realized that just because she was in Akatsuki now didn't mean she was going to win.

Luckily, she'd stopped herself before she became _drunk_. She remembered what happened last time. She would never lose control of herself like that again. Sakura closed her eyes with a small sigh, snuggling into the blankets.

Sleep…that's all she needed. Then in the morning she would begin her training with Deidara, followed by a late breakfast, before finishing clay training before lunch. Afterwards, would be sword training with Kisame. Then dinner and a shower, before puppet practice with Sasori.

Then…well, she'd work on her jutsu.

The Sharingan was only the beginning after all. A little experimenting wouldn't hurt.

She was almost asleep when her door opened. It was as loud as a slam, as the door clicked behind the intruder with a loud snap. Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as she sat up, before recognizing the person.

"Itachi?" She resisted the urge to yawn. "What is it?"

His eyes were a brighter red than she had seen in a long time.

For a second she wondered what seemed so different about him. Then she recognized it. He was actually glaring at her.

"What did you do?"

It was a simple question. But Sakura flinched at the pronunciation of every word. She sat up straighter, readying herself for a fight. "Oi, Itachi, calm down."

"You joined."

Sakura frowned. "Hai."

"May I ask why?" He was trying to keep his emotions in check, she could tell.

That made her even angrier. She stood, glaring straight back at him. It was probably the drinks that were making her so bold. "I don't have to explain every single one of my decisions to you, Itachi. What are you, my owner now? Can I not do anything without your consent?"

She felt herself pushed up against the wall, his bright red eyes boring into her. His voice was silky smooth, with an iciness to it that told her he was holding back his anger. That surprised her most of all. Itachi never had to hold himself back.

"I _do_ own you. You belong to me. Not to Konoha. Not to the Akatsuki and Leader. Not to your precious _Sasuke-kun_. To me, Sakura."

Sakura blinked, feeling his hot breath against her neck. If she didn't know better, she'd guess he'd been drinking. But Itachi Uchiha never indulged in such things. What could have made him worry so much that he'd actually get semi-drunk?

Nothing Sakura could think of.

His lips trailed up her neck. Sakura tried to ignore her body's reaction. She didn't need this right now! She needed answers.

"I-Itachi, you're _drunk_." Sakura accused breathlessly.

There was a dark chuckle from Itachi, which made her heart skip a beat. She didn't know if it frightened her…or aroused her.

His hand rode up her thigh.

"Itachi. Stop it." She tried to keep her voice steady as she pressed against his chest. "You're drunk. I won't let—" She was stopped as his mouth claimed her's roughly.

_What are you doing?_ Her mind screamed at him. Or was it screaming at herself? Because at that moment she decided that she wouldn't mind kissing him back.

Her back was pressed harder against the wall as Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down closer. His lips sought her's hungrily.

Sakura didn't believe it was possible, but Itachi Uchiha seemed to be losing control.

And Sakura was enjoying every minute of it.

She threw her head back as he showered her neck with kisses. She felt as if the temperature in the room had shot up at least ten degrees. His hand was trailing up her sleeping yukata.

His cold fingers felt nice against her hot skin.

He nipped her ear. "Do you see, Sakura? You're mine."

Something in Sakura's mind clicked, and she felt herself stiffening against him. "Itachi, get off." It was a cool, calm order. "Now."

But no one ordered Itachi Uchiha to do anything.

"I'm no one's plaything, Itachi. I am not some item you can own."

"**_I'm not your whore. And I won't be treated or dressed like one."_** Her words from so long ago echoed around the two of them. Unsaid yet understood.

Itachi looked down at her, his hand still underneath her yukata. It drifted across her stomach. "Oh?"

It gave Sakura goose bumps, but she ignored them. "Until you realize that you can't own me, then you will leave this room."

Itachi gave another dark chuckle, eyes glinting in challenge. "You seem to forget that I can make you do anything, Sakura. I am stronger than you."

Sakura looked up at him, jade eyes hard.

"If you rape me, Itachi Uchiha, then I will never forgive you."

Itachi blinked, realization dawning at her words. Suddenly, his drunkenness seemed to fade for a moment. What the hell was he doing? He was acting selfish. Childish. Like his idiotic little brother. Making idle threats that he would never go through with.

He continued to stare down into her eyes as he thought. Why had he gotten drunk in the first place?

_Because you returned from your mission and Sakura was gone. And the note Sasori left you said that they were heading to the Akatsuki headquarters._

Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly. He had not known why Leader would want to speak with Sakura. Then he had thought perhaps it was the scroll. Surely Leader would want to be in control of such a jutsu. But the thought had faded.

Then it occurred to him that perhaps the offer to become a member of Akatsuki was still open. Itachi knew Sakura would never join. She wasn't strong enough. She thought too much of her friends. She would never join.

And he knew what Leader did to those who declined the offer.

That was when Itachi had walked into the bar and drank quite a few more drinks than he should have.

Itachi pushed himself off of the wall, turning his back on Sakura as he began walking towards the door.

She could have died.

And that had frightened him beyond reasoning. He hated himself for it. He had spent hours berating and cursing himself for his weakness.

Itachi walked outside of her room without a look back, closing the door behind him as he began walking to his room. It hit him then.

Sakura was back. That meant she had become Akatsuki. She had given up her inane objection to killing the demon containers.

Perhaps she was stronger than he had thought.

_She_ was becoming stronger…

…and she was making him weak.

* * *

Sasuke was slowly tucking his kunai back into his pouch. He counted them, checking their sharpness. Three days. That's how far away he was from Cloud.

**_"Sakura Haruno and your brother are at a temple in Cloud."_**

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his hand tightened on one kunai. The action broke the skin, as he pressed too hard upon the blade. He released it immediately, cursing himself underneath his breath. He stood shakily. He'd been sitting for hours and his legs had fallen asleep.

He was sitting inside of a small hotel room that he had gotten for the night. Tomorrow, he would head back out to Cloud. To fulfill his mission…He'd been working for years, training incessantly, to kill Itachi. Nothing would stop him from doing so. Not even Sakura Haruno.

**_"When you arrive at the Temple, you may kill Itachi and Sakura Haruno if you wish. But in turn, you must acquire an item for me."_**

He rubbed his arms. The cold was getting to him. He was getting further up into the mountains, and in Stone, the weather was becoming increasingly colder. He hated the cold. It reminded him of his, Naruto, and Sakura's mission to Snow. Nothing good had come out of that. It had only shown Sasuke how weak he was then.

…How much he had needed to leave and go with Orochimaru if he were to succeed in his mission to kill Itachi.

"**_A…scroll…"_**

Sasuke snorted. What could Tomokazu need with a scroll, anyway? It couldn't be that important. Sasuke was, however, wondering just what Tomokazu's motive was. True, he probably disliked Itachi, but wouldn't he get in trouble with Leader? Or was that why he had told Sasuke to do it, so that he wouldn't get in trouble?

Sasuke didn't mind being used just this once, as long as he was able to kill Itachi.

Nothing and no one would keep him from fulfilling his promise to his parents.

_"Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun!"_

_Sasuke gave a small, irritated sigh. He seemed to do that a lot when it involved the pink-haired kunoichi running up to him. She was smiling excitedly, although she seemed to notice Sasuke's annoyed gaze. Her smile faded slightly._

_"What is it, Sakura?"_

_Sakura gave a small giggle. "Well…I wanted to know if you wanted to come to the New Years celebration with me. You see, I was going to go in a group with Ino and the others, but—"_

_"No."_

_He saw Sakura's smile fade completely, replaced by a hurt, confused frown. "Oh." She looked down at her feet, and Sasuke saw a few tears fall. _

_Why was Sakura being so annoying? Sasuke didn't want to go to a New Years celebration. He needed to train. Besides…he never went out on New Years. After…after that night, he decided that such celebrations were stupid and a waste of time._

_"Don't you have anyone else to bother, Sakura? I said no." He didn't want to be mean, but his mind began replaying scenes from the night before, and he wanted to be alone as soon as possible._

_"R-right." He heard Sakura whisper. She turned around, back stiff. "Well, uh, Happy New Years Sasuke." Then she walked off hurriedly. He saw her turn the corner, before he heard her break into a run. _

Sasuke grunted, retying his sandal as he realized that it was slightly loose.

_Sasuke walked out into the heavily lit street, littered with paper lanterns. He didn't know why he had decided to come. Maybe it was being stuck inside of his room for so long, listening to the laughter and music that drifted through the streets._

_Or maybe it was because he remembered the stifled sob he'd heard as Sakura walked away._

_Sasuke scanned the crowd. He saw Shikamaru and Choji standing in front of a food stall, as Choji bought out half of it. Shikamaru was shaking his head and sighing._

_Hinata was walking with Neji, talking with him animatedly about something, her smile alight with happiness. Sasuke supposed it was because Neji was finally being kind to her again after so many years of anger and misplaced hatred._

_Kiba and Shino were walking down the street, Akamaru yapping at their heels. _

_The Jônin senseis were at the moment walking into a bar with Tsunade and Jiraiya, who seemed to be drunk already._

_Ino was walking with someone Sasuke didn't recognize. It seemed to be her date. She shot a glance at Sasuke, then stuck up her nose and hooked her arm in the boy's, steering him towards Sasuke and walking right passed him. _

_Sasuke shook his head with a frown. She was trying to make him jealous and it wasn't working._

_Lee was cheering on Tenten as she began a dart-throwing contest. Of course, she seemed to be winning._

_"Sakura-chan, come on! We're going to be late!"_

_Sasuke turned to see Sakura in a pretty mint green kimono, walking with Naruto. She seemed to be enjoying herself as she laughed, letting him drag her across the street towards a 'haunted house'. _

_Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his hands clenched slightly. What was Sakura doing? She shouldn't be hanging around with Naruto. She should have gone with—Sasuke stopped himself with a frown. With who, _him

_Suddenly Naruto spotted Hinata, who was blushing madly and waving at him. Neji had left the group to talk with Lee and Tenten. Naruto bent down and whispered something to Sakura, who nodded and shooed him off. Naruto was grinning as he walked towards Hinata, and then headed inside the haunted house with her, Kiba, and Shino._

_Sakura stood there for a moment, as if she didn't know what to do. Then she gave a small sigh and began walking down the street, heading toward her home._

_Sasuke watched her go, feeling a little guilty. Sakura probably wouldn't have come to the festival at all, except that Naruto had probably asked her if she wanted to come. Sasuke knew that Naruto was one of her best friends. She wouldn't have refused._

_It irked Sasuke. After all, Naruto had just abandoned her!_

Like you did.

_Sasuke snorted, before stuffing his hands into his pockets as he began walking away, back to his own house._

Che. See, these festivals are just stupid.

_His only comfort was that he wasn't the only person spending New Years alone at home, counting down the hours by himself._

_It wasn't much of a comfort. _

**(A/N: Did you like it? Itachi _drunk?_ Oh. My. God. Heh. Go Sakura! Don't give into the drink! I think she's learned her lesson about alcoholic beverages…**

**Sorry if this chapter took so long to get to all of you. I know I promised it by the end of the weekend, but I've been so busy it isn't even funny. School's been hectic. I don't know when the next chapter will be coming in. –sigh-**

**I'm turning into one of those authors that never updates. I'm so sorry. I always promised myself I would never become like that. Sorry.**

**I hope you all liked it. Once again, thanks for all your reviews. **

**Stupid Sasuke.**

**(Sorry, had to do it) anyway, next chapter…hm…well, I think Sakura and Itachi just need to have a nice, long talk. Things were going so well and yet one of them always seems to ruin it. Geeze.**

**I think I'm going to do the next chapter a little differently, just because I want some fun. But it will probably be a one time thing. Just want to experiment.**

**Well, hopefully the others will somehow catch up with Sakura and the Akatsuki? It would probably be best if they did before Sasuke did, but that wouldn't be as exciting. And since it's my story, I actually get to decide these things. Yay! (I can feel the power…)**

**So, um, sayonara until the next chapter!**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka**

**Question: Do you need a silencer if you are going to shoot a mime?**

**Heh, I just had to put a mime thing in here somewhere)**


	13. Chapter 12: Dear Naruto

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. If I did, well, Haku wouldn't have died! (He's one of my favorite characters)

**(Quick A/N: This chapter is set up a little differently, like I said before. I hope you all like it, tell me what you think.)**

**Chapter 12**

**Dear Naruto**

_Dear Naruto,_

_How long has it been since I've last written? Of course, you haven't gotten any of the letters, so I suppose it doesn't matter. How are you feeling? I'm doing all right, I suppose._

_I've felt better, of course. I'm nursing a hangover to be exact, or I was earlier this morning. Sounds too weird, huh? _

_Kisame decided that we needed to celebrate. He, Deidara, and I drank a bit too much I guess. It wasn't much to celebrate, but they decided I needed it._

_I've been instated as Akatsuki now. I wanted you to hear it from me, not from Tsunade when she sends ANBU to come and kill me. Don't worry, I knew that would happen sooner or later. They're probably after me right now, anyway. I suppose you could say I didn't do it because I_ wanted _to, not in that sense. I don't want to be a killer, or an evil person. I'm not doing it for the fame or the power._

_I still don't know why I did it._

_But I just want you to know, I'll never hunt down anyone with a tailed beast. I've already made that clear. And if anyone ever comes after you, I will protect you with my life. You are precious to me, Naruto. One of my best friends… You're like a brother to me._

_Life here isn't so bad. I wanted to tell you about it. I want you to know what I do every day. I want you to see that maybe, just maybe, I'm better off here. I still don't know, but I'll let you be the judge._

_I have my own room. It's nice, with a large bed, a bookshelf, a desk, and a trunk full of my old things. I still have the frog key chain you gave me. It's always attached to my kunai pouch. It makes it look cute._

_At the moment, I'm sitting here in my room, looking out my window at the mountainside below me. It's beautiful up here. The flowers are beginning to bloom. I've always loved spring, and I can't wait until they're all blooming. There's such a large garden, it reminds me of Ino's flower shop._

_There's a small village below the temple, an hour or so's walk from here. The people there are nice and friendly. There was a festival there a few weeks ago. Deidara, Kisame, and I decided to go down and enjoy it while it lasted. _

_You should have seen it. It was beautiful. Tell Neji I wore the necklace he gave me. It looked so pretty with the kimono. We had so much fun! Deidara bought me some fried squid, and he won me a large teddy bear. It's sitting on my bed right now. _

_I know it's strange to hear about these people like this. I know you probably can't understand why Deidara would want to win me a teddy bear. Kisame was going to, but he wasn't having much luck. He was already drunk by that time._

_But Naruto, these people are really nice. No, I suppose nice isn't the word I'd describe them as. I think I'd say they're merely…_

_Human._

_Yes, that's it._ Human_. They aren't as cold-blooded as everyone thinks. They're actually teaching me some jutsus. It's like team seven all over again, except it's a team of one student and three senseis. A bit different than what we had, ne?_

_Deidara's been teaching me some clay techniques. I was just promoted to exploding clay, which made my day of course. You had better watch out if you ever ask me to spar with you again. You'll be in for a rude awakening. I can mold it into a bird, but it doesn't look very good. Art was never my forte. But it can still fly. Not very well, of course. You'd laugh at it. It's rather pathetic. _

_It's more difficult than it looks. Molding the clay while placing chakra into it is hard. You can't put in too much or it will harden before you've finished, or it will crack. I'm getting better._

_Kisame, surprisingly enough, is teaching me swordplay. With Samehada. Can you believe it, Naruto? I can wield _Samehada_! Of course, I've only done so once or twice. Kisame gave me a rather pitiful imitation of it to practice with. _

_But it's heavy. I now know how Zabuza must have felt! _

_Sasori made me this adorable little geisha doll. I haven't named her yet, although I suppose I should. If you think of any ideas, let me know. She's small, about a foot or so high, but Sasori taught me a special jutsu that let's me alter her size. This will help if I want to carry her around, I guess._

_He's taught me how to control her, and I can fight pretty well using her. She has plenty of wonderful little weapons hidden everywhere. Kankuro would be proud. She's even got poisoned senbon as chopsticks for her hair._

_My days are usually the same: training, training, training. It's like being a Genin all over again. But I love it. I wouldn't give it up for the world. I've always loved learning more than teaching. I guess it's a good thing I didn't try and become a sensei! That would have been a disaster, ne?_

_Well, I have to go now Naruto. Someone's knocking on the door and I think_

_…oh my goodness. Naruto, sorry about leaving you hanging but…oh my goodness…oh my goodness, oh my goodness! It's…I can't even write correctly. _

_I know you have no idea what's going on, sorry. My hands are shaking with excitement. I'm…completely baffled. It's night now. It's about six hours since I was interrupted at the door._

_Guess who it was?_

_Itachi. You have no idea how surprised I was! We had a fight last night and I…well, never mind. Let's just say we didn't end on good terms. But…there he was. Well, technically, he opened my door and walked inside on his own. He doesn't usually knock and wait for someone to tell him he can come in._

_I guess it's an Uchiha thing, ne?_

_He was wearing what he normally does, with his Akatsuki cloak—minus the hat, of course. Oh he looked so cute! Uh, anyway…usually he walks in and asks me something, because he never comes into my room without a reason. But, he just came in and sat down on the edge of my bed._

_I was sitting at my desk writing to you of course. I turned around, and we just watched each other._

_It seemed like forever, but I guess it was only a few moments. I probably looked like a complete mess. I had just woken up and my hair wasn't combed or anything. His eyes were their normal scarlet Sharingan, because he never deactivates it. I think that's what started the conversation, because I didn't like the silence. I've never liked silence._

_So I spoke first, naturally. "Itachi, if you keep your Sharingan on all the time, I'll have to heal them again soon."_

_Stupid of me, of course. He knew that already. I'd probably told him at least a dozen times._

_"Hn."_

_He does that Sasuke thing, where he just gives a small huff and pretends like he's Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected. Another Uchiha thing. Well actually, it would be an_ Itachi _thing, since he was born first and Sasuke would have adopted it from him._

_"So, what are you doing here?" I spoke again. Stupid, once again. I never seem to speak intelligently around him._

_"We need to talk."_

_I swear my stomach literally flipped. I think I nodded and said ok, although I'm not sure. I don't remember much of that part of our conversation. I stood and followed him out of the room, since he was already opening the door. _

_We walked outside of the house. I noticed that Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame weren't present. They must have been in the kitchen. No one stopped us. For a second, it worried me._

_But it soon gave way to another feeling: excitement. I could barely contain myself as I walked behind him. It was slightly chilly that morning. Of course, I was only in a large t-shirt and shorts and I had just walked out of a nicely heated house. It felt cold to_ me_. I rubbed my arms as I looked out across the garden, which was blooming in the morning sunshine._

_It's strange, that I remembered where it happened. I remember every detail of the landscape…but I can barely remember the conversation. Funny, huh?_

_He stopped when we reached the koi pond. I remember the pond very well. It's a special place for me. It's where Deidara and I…talked. Where I asked for his forgiveness and he gave it, which surprised me._

_It will always be a special place to me._

_Now more so than ever._

_I leaned against the wooden railing, Itachi standing beside me. I wondered what he was going to say. I didn't want to be the one to speak first. I wanted _him_ to talk to _me

_And he did._

_"Last night was unacceptable."_

_I blinked, looking up at him. The sunshine played across his face, magnifying the shadows and illuminating those beautiful eyes of his. I can remember the lines underneath his eyes, how weary and old they made him look at that moment. Like an old man in a young man's body._

_He's been through so much._

_I'm not trying to justify what he did to his family. I can never forgive him for what he did to Sasuke, but…I wonder…was it really his fault he turned out the way he did?_

_Or maybe he looked that way because he had been drunk. Maybe he was nursing a hangover as well. For some reason, that made me want to laugh. The thought of a drunk and stumbling Itachi clutching his forehead and cursing much like Kisame, well, I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling. If I had lost control and laughed, I doubt Itachi would have continued talking. And I wanted to hear everything he had to say._

_I heard him shift beside me, as he looked down at me, his entire face emotionless. He was hiding something from me. But then again, he was hiding something from the entire world. Itachi Uchiha never wanted to show his weaknesses. He didn't_ have _any. And he would never show the world that he had a heart, or that even_ he_ felt emotion sometimes._

_He would never show anyone that he was a human being too._

_But he is._

_I can feel it, even when I just give him a quick glance. I wonder if maybe, I'm reading into things too deeply. But I swear, sometimes I see a flicker of emotion that I know isn't anger, or hatred, or scorn. It's something else, and I wish I knew what it was._

_I looked up at him and our eyes met. _

_"It's alright." Was all I said. _

_Itachi's eyes narrowed. "No. It's not."_

_I blinked once more. What was wrong with him? Itachi Uchiha would never do something like this. As I watched him, I suddenly realized the stiffness of his body, the way he shifted uncomfortably. So small and insignificant…the movements were hardly visible or noticeable._

_But _I_ saw them._

_"Itachi?" I remember whispering, eyes confused. I _was_ confused. The real Itachi would merely tell me that he could do whatever the hell he pleased, and he didn't need _anyone's_ approval._

_He was an Uchiha._

_He was an _apologizing_ Uchiha?_

_"There was no excuse for my behavior last night…" I saw his eyes narrow slightly and his jaw tighten, but he managed to say the last words he wanted to say, through thin, compressed lips._

_"I ask for your forgiveness."_

_I'm sure I stared at him for a good ten minutes. I remember just looking at him, and wondering what had happened to him. What had made him change? How could he be so…kind? Itachi Uchiha never asked anything of _anyone_. He didn't need to._

_I reached out hesitantly, touching his cloak. I think I traced the outline of one of the red clouds with my finger. I just continued to look at the cloak, not paying attention to this strange man hidden beneath it._

_Was I seeing the real Itachi Uchiha? Was this the man that had always been hiding behind this black cloak?_

_Was this the young Itachi that Sasuke had once admired and loved? The one that the entire Uchiha Clan was so proud of?_

_"Itachi…" I began, before I felt his hand grip my chin and force me to look up at him. At the man, not the cloak. It struck me then. I was separating him from _them_—the Akatsuki; I was making him a human being, a person. Someone that someone else could maybe learn to love someday._

_I was probably the first person he had ever asked forgiveness from. As strange as it sounds, I was honored. To think that the infamous Uchiha Itachi would be asking forgiveness from the weakest little kunoichi of all of Konoha? It's almost funny, ne?_

_I wouldn't have traded that moment for the world._

_I think even the birds stopped singing, just so that I could have time to revel in the silence and notice only him…and me…_

_…_together_…_

_"I forgive you." I whispered it, I don't even know if he heard it. All I remember if that he bent down, and our lips touched._

_I probably shouldn't be explaining this to you, Naruto, but I swear I've never felt this way. It was exhilarating. The kiss…it was different than his other ones. It was…sweet._

_And it was a bit too short for my taste, as he pulled back. Uncertainly? Ha, I doubt it. I was definitely delving too deep and trying to read him too much. Itachi was never uncertain. He always knows exactly what to do._

_I felt breathless. I merely looked up at him as the silence stretched. Then I spoke, feeling the railing of the bridge press against the small of my back. "Who are you and what have you done to the real Itachi Uchiha?"_

_He gave the smallest, amused smirk as his lips came down upon mine again._

_It was a little while later when we finished kissing. It didn't lead to anything else, Naruto; I know what you're thinking! Don't be a pervert. I think we both wanted to take it slow. Or at least, _I_ did, and Itachi was probably just having one of his 'once in a blue moon' nice moments, and was going along with it. Take it_ slow_? I'm starting to make it sound as if we're a couple. Hah._

_I don't know if either of us knew what to do afterwards, however. We just stood there, before I blurted out that I'd really love to go and take a nice look at the small shrine we'd seen on our way through Cloud. It was probably a few hours from the Temple. _

_He gave another small smirk, as if he found everything I was saying amusing. He was toying with me, the jerk. Of course, I decided to go along with it. There was no point in denying myself the chance to see Itachi like this. _

_We spent the entire afternoon together. He was probably doing it just to amuse me. But it was fun, even if he did look a bit annoyed at having to stop off at a nearby village for some incense. _

_At the village, we stopped for lunch and ate it as we walked. We would have stayed in town, but they seemed wary of Itachi's cloak. And, of course, I looked like a mess. We didn't talk, because that would have been completely abnormal, and I really would have forced this Itachi look-a-like to tell me exactly what he'd done with the real Uchiha._

_When we came to the shrine, I said a small prayer, lighting the incense. I think Itachi thought praying at a shrine was a stupid practice, but he didn't say anything as he stood outside, waiting for me to finish._

_I prayed for all of you. For my mother and father, Tsunade-sama, Ino, Hinata, all of my old friends…my new ones…Kakashi-sensei. But most of all…I prayed for you and Sasuke._

_That you'll be happy, Naruto. That you'll become Hokage one day like you want to. You can do it._

_And that Sasuke will find some closure. I want him to be at peace now, Naruto. Tell him that, will you? I want him to be happy, for once. He's never laughed. I want him to laugh._

_I prayed he'd give up his thoughts of revenge against Itachi. There's no point. He's only going to get himself hurt again. I prayed…that if he found the Akatsuki, he'd just take my life and be done with it…_

…_and be happy again._

…_to smile…_

_That's all I want._

_I want you all to be happy, dammit! Can't you do that for me? All my life everyone's been so worried about me. They were trying so hard to make me smile and keep me happy. But they should have been trying to help you and Sasuke instead. They should have seen that you needed love more than I did._

_But we can't turn back time, Naruto._

_And I don't know if I'd want to change time anyway. _

_You can't understand my feelings, can you? You're probably reading this and wondering how in the world I can care for them, or how I can…maybe…somehow…be in love with Itachi Uchiha?_

_You don't know them like I do._

_You don't see it. The way they joke with one another like normal people. The way they try and help me. The way they get worried and fuss when I'm in a bad mood, which usually ends up in me smacking Kisame or Deidara because they won't stop asking 'what's wrong'. Like you, baka. I don't remember how many times I've smacked you because you kept asking me what was wrong._

_Thanks._

_I don't know if you can forgive me for what I've done, Naruto. I know it would be hard for me to understand if you or Sasuke left me. But…then again, you did leave me. So I suppose there isn't really an excuse, is there? But that's beside the point. I just want you to understand that…_he _isn't what you think._

_Did you know that he's actually nice, sometimes?_

_When I was injured, he carried me. And…it's hard to explain and it probably isn't that significant to you but…he gave me the bed once._

_And he stayed up with me when I was afraid to be alone. _

_I think Itachi really does have a heart, not matter how emotionless he seems. Itachi is…he is so different…and yet exactly the same._

_Like the moon._

_I've told you my moon theory, Naruto. I think, maybe that he's just been hidden by clouds all this time. He's just kept himself hidden until I came along. It sounds stupid but I wonder…is this the reason why I'm here? To bring him out from behind the shadows and the clouds and let him see that he can just be himself?_

_I don't know. Nothing is certain to me anymore. I take every day as it comes. And I think that's how we should all live…in that small margin of hours that we call a day. So many things can happen. So many things can change._

_So many hearts can be broken._

_So many lives can be ruined…_

_…and yet, so many people can find a place where they belong…_

_Naruto, this was probably hard to read. I know it's hard to understand them still. To understand _me_. But please…I beg you…just try and understand. That's all I ask. Think it over and…and then decide whether or not you hate me._

_With all my love, forever and ever,_

_Sakura Haruno_

…_your Sakura-chan…_

**(A/N: Well? I know it's a little different, but I wanted to try it. Tell me what you think. It's probably the only time I'll write in the first person in this story, but I wanted to see what happened. Unless you guys like it and then I'll try and throw in another one of these. In the next chapter, we'll probably learn a little bit more about Itachi's thoughts—not in first person of course! He'll probably just sit there and talk about how he didn't apologize because he felt _obligated_ to or anything :)**

**They had their talk…and Itachi APOLOGIZED! Woohoo! **

**Well, see all of you later! I hope you liked it.**

**It was a short chapter, but I don't know how I could have possibly written twelve or so pages of a letter. Not in my state. My brain is completely fried right now. Did you all like the way Sakura scratched out some of her sentences so Naruto wouldn't read them? Heh. I thought it was cute.**

**I'm sorry this chapter is so late. I've been going through some really tough times and I'm just trying to sort everything out. And I didn't want anything I was feeling to effect the storyline (otherwise it would have been super depressing). So that's why this chapter was late. I hope you can all forgive me! -big puppy dog eyes-**

**With all my love, forever and ever,**

**Lady Hanaka.**

**Question: If a book about failure doesn't sell, is it a success?**

**P.S. My birthday is coming up soon and the best present I could possibly get would be loads of reviews! –hint hint- And thanks for all of your support, everybody! I've needed it and it's kept me going. So once again, thank you.)**


	14. Chapter 13: Maturity

Disclaimer: Let's see, do I own Naruto yet? No, that's why this is still just a fanfic and not on the TV show.

**Chapter 13**

**Maturity**

_I still remember the world_

_From the eyes of a child,_

_Slowly those feelings_

_Were clouded by what I know now._

_I still remember the sun_

_Always warm on my back_

_Somehow it seems colder now…_

_Where has my heart gone?_

_Trapped in the eyes of a stranger…_

_Oh I…I want to go back_

_To believing in everything and knowing nothing at all**…**_

When Sakura awoke the next morning, she frowned and yawned like always. Mornings were never her favorite time of the day. Her mother had often said she was like an owl—she'd stay up all night reading and would sleep all day if she could. Sakura supposed that was true.

But now she had something to look forward to. Something to get her up as soon as her eyes fluttered open. And that something was probably sitting in the kitchen as she lie there, calmly sipping some tea.

Sakura buried her face in her pillow as a grin spread across her face and she let out a small laugh.

_Oi._

_I'm in deep now, aren't I?_

She breathed in deeply, smelling the last traces of incense from her hair. She hadn't taken a shower last night, since she'd hardly been able to get to sleep the night before, let alone do anything _constructive_.

_Itachi Uchiha…_

Sakura slipped out of bed. It seemed to be a normal occurrence for her. Wake up. Get out of bed. Train. Eat breakfast. Train more. Eat Lunch. Train. Eat Dinner. Take a shower. Train. Go to her room and read the scroll and—believe it or not, train. Then go to sleep. Then she'd wake up the next morning and it would begin all over again.

She didn't mind, really. Except she needed something to disrupt it every now and then.

And yesterday had been exactly what she'd been hoping for.

Simple…quiet…maybe foolish to some…

Perfect.

Sakura rubbed her arms as she walked across the room to her closet. She looked for a second at her desk, where her latest letter to Naruto sat. She gave a small sigh. She had not idea why she wrote them at all. She would never send them. They were just a way for her to get out her emotions and thoughts.

She grabbed her bathing robe, as well as her soap—since she didn't trust the soap in their bathroom, not after _Kisame_ took a shower—and slowly walked out of the room and down the hall.

"Hey kitten!" Kisame greeted, heading down the hallway opposite her. He stopped for a moment, eyes trailing up and down her body. "What's the occasion? Is it my birthday and I forgot all about it?"

Sakura raised one eyebrow. "Kisame, get some new lines and I might actually play along." She grinned at his small, fake look of hurt as he mimed a kunai through the chest.

"That hurts, kitten."

"Hn."

Sakura and Kisame both looked up to see Itachi. He had just walked out of the bathroom a few feet away from where Kisame and Sakura were talking in the hallway. Sakura ignored the blush that rose to her cheeks, as she looked him over much like Kisame had done to her.

His hair was damp, but not soaking. He'd actually dried it before he'd walked out. It hung in front of his eyes, which peered back at her amusedly, as if he knew what she was thinking. He wasn't wearing a shirt, merely a towel slung around his neck. His black slacks were the same as always. Sakura supposed she couldn't really picture Itachi walking out of a room in boxers.

But his chest…

_Whoa girl. Down. Wipe away the drool and close that mouth. It's not good to stare._

Sakura cleared her throat, pulling her bathing robe closer to her body and clutching her soap bar. She held it too hard and it popped out of her hands, flying through the air.

"Oops!" Sakura called out, reaching for it. She tripped, falling forward with a small yelp as she landed against a hard stone wall. No, not stone. Not unless stone was warm, skin colored, and absolutely gorgeous.

Sakura hurriedly pushed herself off of Itachi, mumbling an apology. She didn't even want to look into his eyes. He would be silently mocking her, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

Kisame let out a small guffaw from where he stood, holding Sakura's soap. He sniffed it, wrinkling his nose. "What the hell is this? It smells like strawberries."

"Well ex_cuse_ me. Some of us don't want to smell like fish, thank you very much." Sakura snapped back. She might be tongue-tied with Itachi, but never with Kisame.

Kisame shrugged with a grin. "But kitten, you have your own wonderful, natural scent."

"Huh?"

Kisame got a solemn look on his face as he waved his hand dramatically. "You ooze the floral scent of rosemary and jade. Of cherry blossoms in spring. Of the cool breeze on a spring day—"

"Hn."

Sakura heard the warning tone in Itachi's small grunt. So did Kisame, apparently. He coughed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Uh. Gotta go, kitten. Don't forget about practice today. We'll be working extra hard since you skipped training yesterday." Then he sped down the hallway and out of sight.

Sakura watched him go, one eyebrow raised, before she turned to look back at Itachi. "How can you tell if someone smells like the cool breeze on a spring day?"

"Hn."

She supposed that was as much as she was going to get out of him. She bit her lip, and then remembered what it felt like with his lips on hers. Their goodnight kiss…well, more like a heated make out session that had finally ended abruptly when Kisame had stumbled out of the kitchen, drunk and singing a rather risqué song about a shinobi and a geisha.

Sakura licked suddenly dry lips. Her eyes darted to the open bathroom door. "Well, uh, I'd better get going to. I want to take a shower before I go and train. I didn't get to take one last night, after all." _You're babbling Sakura. What happened to the cool, calm, ANBU captain?_

"Hn."

Sakura merely walked passed him towards the door, "See you later." She felt a warm hand brush against her leg, before she looked back.

Itachi was gone.

"Damn that man." Sakura muttered to herself. "He's enjoying every minute of this, isn't he?"

No one answered her question, but then again, she'd be a little afraid if someone had. She merely slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach.

* * *

Itachi sat in the kitchen with Sasori, Deidara, and Kisame. He sipped his tea, before placing the cup on the table. He could feel the searching looks all of them sent him. They were all wondering where he and Sakura had gone to the day before.

Sasori's gaze was indifferent but amused, Kisame's was curious.

And Deidara's was jealous.

That merely made Itachi smirk as he watched them all.

"Did you and Sakura have fun on your _rendezvous_, Itachi?" Kisame asked playfully.

"Hn." Itachi didn't have to explain himself to anyone.

"Well, Sakura-chan must be tired, yeah." Deidara grunted. "She's been asleep for a long time. Someone should go wake her up."

"She's up." Kisame explained. "She's taking a shower right now."

"Ah." That was Sasori, who watched them all curiously. Mainly Itachi. He seemed to be slightly preoccupied. Sasori supposed that was understandable. He gave a small smile of his own as he turned to speak with Deidara.

He'd seen Itachi and Sakura's…_kiss_ the night before. His door had been slightly open, and he'd been up all night studying a particularly interesting jutsu that Sakura had told him about.

_Well, well, Itachi Uchiha…how interesting. It seems you are not as emotionless as you once thought. I knew I was right about you all along._ Sasori continued to speak with Deidara about some type of jutsu that Deidara was teaching Sakura. He was only half paying attention, as he continued to watch Itachi.

Itachi was also only half-listening to the conversation. He continued to sip his tea at random intervals, his gaze hidden behind his bangs. His mind continually drifted to the pink-haired kunoichi who was, at the moment, completely naked and only a few doors down.

When had Itachi begun to care about those types of things?

He didn't like it.

He didn't like how he'd actually _enjoyed_ going with Sakura to that stupid shrine. She hadn't talked a lot, or tried to drag him into a conversation, which he was grateful for. She seemed to understand that he didn't like pleasant conversation.

He hadn't even minded when he had to sit outside the shrine for at least an hour or so as Sakura said her prayers to whomever it was she was praying about. He'd wondered if she had been praying for him.

He didn't know if he liked that or not. He didn't need salvation. But he felt slightly flattered at the thought that she would think about him.

And then of course they had kissed. Itachi had been ready to take it to the next level, of course, and he believed that maybe Sakura had as well. She hadn't said anything, but the way she pressed against him with sharp, quick breaths, her hands clutching his shirt, made him think she would have been completely agreeable to whatever else had happened that night.

But then that bastard Kisame had walked in on them.

And Itachi had panicked for a single moment. He didn't know why. Why the hell should he be afraid to let Kisame or one of the others see himself and Sakura together? They'd merely think he was toying with her, like he had done with women before.

It was because he was afraid they'd see that he _wasn't_ toying with her.

And that scared him.

They'd know he actually…_maybe_, cared about someone. And that would mean he had a weakness. He would never stoop so low. He would never become dependent upon someone else.

He wasn't an idiot or fool like Deidara.

He looked up as he realized that someone was talking to him. "Hn?"

Sasori smiled back rather amusedly, which irked Itachi to no end. "I asked whether or not you had any information on Tomokazu's whereabouts."

"No." Tomokazu was now the most important person on the Akatsuki's wanted list. They were even being called back from hunting the tailed-demon containers. That showed that Leader actually viewed him as a threat, which was slightly disconcerting.

Sasori nodded. "I see. The rest of us have had no better luck than yourself. It seems he has…"

Itachi stopped listening as he took another sip of his tea. He swore he caught a hint of incense, which made him smirk. It was a nice smell. He let his mind drift to a certain medical kunoichi as he pretended to pay attention to the conversation.

* * *

Temari wiped the sweat from her forehead as she took a deep breath. She looked to her side, where Naruto was leaning against a tree limb, looking as cool, calm, and tireless as ever.

It was really starting to get on her nerves.

They'd been heading towards the mountain for days, and were finally at the base. They were running on a two-hour-long rest each day. Ino was asleep on her feet. Shikamaru was lazier and grumpier than ever.

And, of course, Temari's already short temper was shorter than ever.

"How long until we get there, do you think?" Naruto asked as he took a small bite of his rations, chewing thoughtfully.

Ino watched him incredulously. "How can you even _move_?"

He shrugged, and Shikamaru sighed as he began explaining for Naruto's sake, "He's just got a lot more stamina than any of us."

"Che." Ino snorted as she took a long drink of her water. "That's a nice way of putting it. How on earth do you train to have that much stamina?"

"Lots of weights?" Temari supplied.

Naruto grinned. "Nah. It's just natural, I guess."

Temari and Ino frowned, before shaking their heads as they both closed their eyes to rest.

Temari felt warm arms envelope her and smiled as she leaned back against Shikamaru. "Awe. You're tired and you _still_ have time to hug me. I'm flattered."

"I'm cold."

Temari frowned. "Then go share body warmth with someone else, baka. You can at least _pretend_ to be romantic."

She heard a soft, tired laugh from Shikamaru, but she had yet to open her eyes. His breath blew against her neck as she tilted her head back. She gave another contented smile as she began falling asleep.

His fingers laced with hers as he looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms. His wife. He'd have to get used to that. He gave a small smirk as he looked to where Naruto and Ino were watching them. "Go to sleep and don't be so troublesome."

Ino huffed, before pulling her ANBU cloak tighter around herself and turning her back on all of them as she tried to sleep.

Naruto merely grinned and nodded, but Shikamaru saw a small flicker of sadness. Shikamaru knew that Naruto would have wanted Hinata to be there with him. However, Shikamaru didn't think that was such a good idea. Hinata's father was still having dark thoughts about his daughter's relationship. He, like many of the adults of Konoha, still didn't like Naruto.

_Well, Temari and I made it. So can they._ Shikamaru thought sleepily as his own eyes began drifting shut. As they did so, an old memory came to mind.

_Shikamaru was walking slowly down the street, deep in thought. It was growing dark, and there wasn't anyone else on the road. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he frowned._

_"What's on your mind, Shikamaru?" _

_Shikamaru looked up to see the promising, pink-haired medic-nin he'd recently lost a shogi game to. She was dressed in a tank top and sweat pants, although he knew she was wearing shorts underneath them. She was wiping the sweat from her brow, shouldering a large pack._

_"Training?" Was all Shikamaru asked as Sakura sidled alongside him._

_Sakura nodded. "For the ANBU test."_

_"Nani?" Shikamaru stopped short. "You're trying to become ANBU?"_

_Sakura nodded. "Anything wrong with that?"_

_"No." Shikamaru shrugged. "I guess not."_

_Sakura punched his arm softly, "What's that supposed to mean?"_

_"Its just…do you think you can do it?" After all, he hadn't seen her around lately. She seemed to be off doing something all the time. Any time he'd been in Tsunade's office and expected to see her familiar pink head, she'd been gone. Tsunade had merely smiled and avoided the question when he'd asked where she was. Surely Sakura wasn't strong enough to become ANBU. She was training under Tsunade, but that wouldn't be enough…would it?_

_He saw something flicker in Sakura's eyes, but it disappeared as she frowned slightly. "Of course." It was a simple, cool answer. There was no confidence behind it, but neither was there doubt. Just the answer to a question. Like she knew it would happen. _

_"Well sorry for breathing." Shikamaru muttered. _

_He got a small half-smile for his efforts, "Don't worry about me Shikamaru. I've been training a lot. You'll be surprised tomorrow."_

_"Che."_

_"So, why are you out here anyway?" Sakura asked curiously. "You usually don't amble around like this at night. Isn't it hard to see the clouds?" The last part was a small joke, and it made Shikamaru give a dry laugh._

_"Yeah." He gave another sigh as he looked back at Sakura, wondering if he could tell her. Surely he could trust her, of all people. "I'm…stuck."_

_"With what?"_

_"I…need some advice."_

_"About…?"_

_"Women."_

_Sakura stopped short, grabbing his arm to keep him from moving ahead. "Women?" She let go of his arm as she placed her hands on her hips. "And who is the lucky girl?"_

_Shikamaru mumbled something beneath his breath._

_Sakura frowned. "I didn't exactly catch that."_

_He mumbled it again, a little louder._

_"Still can't here you."_

_"I'M IN LOVE WITH TEMARI OF THE SAND!"  
_

_There was a long moment of silence. Then soft laughter, which soon erupted into full-blown hilarity. Sakura was clutching her sides, as Shikamaru blushed. She stopped, breathing in deeply at the embarrassed look on Shikamaru's face._

_"Ok, ok…well, have you…asked her out on a date yet?"_

_"We've been dating for a while…" Shikamaru tried to stop the blushing._

_"So, you didn't tell anyone else, because you're from different villages, ne?"_

_"Hai."_

_"You sneaky little devil." Sakura grinned. "You hid it well. I didn't suspect a thing."_

_"Her brothers do." Shikamaru muttered in despair._

_Sakura hid another smile. "Well, what is it you wanted me to help you with?"_

_"I need to know…how to ask her."_

_"Ask her what—oh." Sakura gasped, before launching at Shikamaru. "Congratulations!"_

_"I haven't asked her yet!" Shikamaru sputtered as she let go of him._

_"You're now officially off the market, Shikamaru. You're no-woman's land now." She grinned. "Poor Ino."_

_Shikamaru looked on in confusion. "What do you mean? Our relationship is strictly friendship."_

_"I see." Sakura nodded with a small, knowing smile. "So the greatest Nara tactician can't think of a way to pop the question?"_

_"This is serious."_

_"I know." Sakura amended softly. "I don't see you as doing it romantically, on bended knee or something. No…she'd probably kick your ass if you did it that way, because she'd think you were joking."_

_"Hai." Shikamaru nodded. That sounded like something Temari would do._

_Suddenly a small smile spread across Sakura's face. "I'll look into it." Then she disappeared. Shikamaru stood there for a moment, wondering what he had just gotten himself into._

_The next morning, Shikamaru found out he had been assigned a mission alone with Temari._

_Sometimes he thought it _wasn't_ such a good idea to have friends as smart as Sakura Haruno. _

* * *

Sakura stretched languidly as she breathed in deeply. She then sat down lazily in the tall grass. She looked up at Kisame with a small frown, "What's on your mind?"

Kisame blinked, looking down at Sakura. "Nothing, kitten. Just wondering why you're in such a good mood, is all." He grinned as he finished.

Sakura's leg shot out, knocking him off his feet in one swipe. He fell on his butt with a grunt. "Kitten!"

Sakura smirked at him, leaning her chin on her hand as she watched him rub his butt with a grimace. "A good mood huh?"

Kisame frowned. "Not anymore. Geeze."

They were sitting in a large abandoned field a mile or so from the Temple. It was the only place big enough for their sword battles. The ground was already covered in large craters, some from Samehada, some from the makeshift sword that Sakura wielded. A few trees had also been lopped in half, judging from the newly made stumps surrounding the edge of the clearing.

Sakura looked up as she watched the sun set. She gave a small smile, forgetting that Kisame was sitting by her. She remembered the sunset that night as well, as she and Itachi had been walking home…

Sakura's eyes flickered uncertainly as she looked down at her hand, which was clutching a handful of soil. She sifted the dirt through her fingers, letting it slip from her grasp and back down to the ground in a small pile.

Was she wrong in her feelings?

_**"Oi Sakura, you deserve to be happy. Get it through your thick head. It doesn't matter about anyone else. What good is life if you don't live it how **_**you****_ want to?" _**

Sakura looked back on Ino's words to her during their first ANBU mission together. Was it true? Should she forget about everyone else's opinions and feelings so she could live how she wanted to?

_**"S-Sakura, you never smile anymore. I w-wish there was something someone could d-do to make you s-smile again." **_

_There is Hinata…_Sakura thought as she gave a small sigh. _There is someone who can make me smile all the time…he makes me cry too, sometimes, but then again, we hurt the ones we love most of all, ne?_

_**"Some people wait forever for their soul mates. Sometimes they find them…sometimes they do. And sometimes people find them but they don't accept them, or they choose to forget about them. I promised myself I'd never do that, because I've wanted to be loved so badly. That's why I'm…it's why I always tag along with Neji. I want him to see me like he does you, Sakura. I want him to see that I'm waiting for him and I will be waiting for him, no matter what!" **_

_Oh Tenten, I wish Neji would see you're there. Even with his Byakugan, he can be so blind sometimes…_Sakura scooped up another handful of dirt, watching it as she rubbed it between her fingers.

_**"When you find your man, Sakura, don't let him go. If you have to, get him drunk and tie him up so he can finally come to his senses when he wakes up!" **_

Sakura remembered Tsunade's words as if she were standing right in front of her.

_**"Tell me when you find your man, Sakura. Then I can write a new novel. I don't doubt it'll be a bestseller. Any love of **_**yours****_ is bound to have a good story behind it." _**

And Jiraiya's, unfortunately.

Sakura let out a small laugh, which was a dry chuckle. _If only you knew, Jiraiya. I can see the title now: Dangerous Lover. Or Maybe, Murderous Love._ Sakura let out another laugh as she shook her head.

The breeze played with her bangs, blowing them in her eyes. She blinked as she looked back up at the sky. It was slowly darkening, and the stars were coming into view.

_Will they really accept it…if I told them? Would they hate me?_

_…will Naruto hate me?_

_**"I just want you to be happy, Sakura-chan! Why can't you be happy? Please…I just want…you to be **_**happy****_." _**

Sakura blinked to keep the tears at bay as she remembered Naruto's parting words to her before he left to bring back Sasuke.

_Oh Naruto…what's wrong with me? I don't even know what's happening. One moment I hate him for all that he's done and has caused, and in the next I'm smiling like a drunken fool over something he's done. It's all so confusing. _He's_ confusing…he raped me, he insulted me, he threatened to kill me…and then…he kisses me. And I forget about everything else he ever did._

_Can you really accept that he makes me happy?_

_Or will you hate me?_

_Dear god I'm in love with Itachi Uchiha!_

It struck Sakura deeply as she screamed the words silently. She was in love with a murderer. The man she had sworn to hate because he had ruined the life of her dear Sasuke-kun. She was a traitor. She was every horrible insult imaginable. She stood, brushing the dirt from her hands. Kisame looked up at her. He'd been watching her stare off into space for the past few minutes.

"What is it kitten?"

"I…I want to be alone." Sakura whispered as she began walking away, rubbing her arms as she went. "Tell Sasori I don't feel like training right now. I…I'll make it up to him tomorrow."

Kisame watched her retreating back, one eyebrow raised. He did not call after her, or try and follow. He saw the rigidity of her back and knew better than to try and ask what was wrong. He gave a small sigh as he stood.

"Don't be late for supper, kitten." He knew he was talking to open air and silence, but he didn't care.

"I need a drink."

* * *

Sakura walked down the small path in the woods, her pace quickening. She had to get away. Not from him, not from the Akatsuki…from herself. She broke into a run as she whipped through the trees. Maybe if she ran fast enough, she could leave her body behind.

She knew it was a foolish thought, but she wasn't thinking clearly at the moment. She just had to get away. Like the time Sasuke had told her he would always hate her. She had to leave so she wouldn't have to face the truth.

The fact that she loved Itachi Uchiha.

Sakura slumped to the ground, slamming her fists into the earth. The made a small indention as the dirt flew into the air.

"I can't love him, dammit! I can't love a murderer!"

She felt the hot tears sting the corners of her eyes, but she willed them back. "What the hell did I do to deserve this!?" She didn't know whom she was asking. She just wanted answers.

_I fall in love with Sasuke and he betrays me…he leaves me for power…and now I'm in love with Itachi and…and it's impossible for me to love him. I can't. I'd be betraying my entire village. Why _me

"I can't love him. He raped me. He's hurt me. Dear God if I was anyone else he would have killed me already!"  
_But you _aren't_ someone else. You're you. Doesn't that tell you anything? He didn't kill you because—_

"Because I'm a medic-nin and he needed someone to heal his eyes." Sakura finished bitterly, not wanting to think about any other possibility.

She couldn't rationalize anything else. And besides…if she started to believe that Itachi could perhaps care for her…then she'd give herself hope. She'd fuel this strange emotion rushing through her and it would burst into full flame…and then she wouldn't be able to control it anymore. She'd be completely engulfed and consumed.

Sakura punched the tree to her right, feeling the bark shatter with the blow. She pounded it again with her other fists. No chakra, just physical strength. "Dammit! Why is this happening to me? Why? Why?"

Bam.

"Why couldn't Itachi have just never killed his Clan?"

Bam.

"Then maybe…maybe we could have fallen in love when I was older."

Bam.

"Why did he have to do it!?!?! Dammit, _why_!?"

Bam.

Sakura felt blood trickle down her fingers. Her knuckles were bloody shreds. She didn't care as she felt one tear slid down her cheek. "Why Itachi…why couldn't you have just stayed in Konoha? Why do you have to make this so hard for me…?"  
Bam.

Her fists felt like they were on fire, but she ignored it.

"Why…oh god why…?" Sakura gasped out as her hands slipped from the wood and she pressed her forehead against the bloodied, splintered bark. A few more tears escaped her eyes and slid down her cheeks, making clean tracks on her dirty face.

"Why do I love you?" She whispered as she closed her eyes, shoulders shaking, though she would not let herself cry. She merely clenched her eyes shut and willed the tears back.

It was then that she felt warm hands grab her own. She flinched at the touch, as the fingers hit the raw, torn skin.

"Hn."

Sakura's eyes opened wide as she let out a deep breath. She didn't look up, but she didn't need to. To her side knelt a man in an Akatsuki cloak. A man with red Sharingan.

"That was foolish." He pulled her hands into his own, looking over the damage.

Sakura continued to watch the ground in front of her. How much had he heard? What if he had heard everything? Dear god, what was he thinking? She knew he didn't love her. Would he see this as a threat? Would it merely make him think she was even weaker than before?

Would he laugh at her?

Would he give his famous smirk and watched her condescendingly with those crimson eyes?

Sakura merely nodded numbly as she finally looked up into Itachi's eyes. She blinked for a second, unsure if she were seeing clearly. There was no crimson Sharingan. Just a deep, charcoal gray swirled with navy blue.

"Itachi?"

Itachi watched her with a small smirk. He nodded curtly as he looked her over and saw that she was in no condition to move. She had worn herself out with her outburst, whatever it had been about. He picked her up with a small, agitated sigh.

He felt her stiffen in his hold, and he felt a small tremor go through her body. She didn't press against him. She seemed to be trying not to touch him, as she turned her head to lean against his shoulder and look out at the trees, rather than bury her face in his neck. She was stiff and rigid, as if she were afraid of him.

Sakura felt his warmth engulf her, but she ignored it as he slowly began heading back to the Temple with her in his arms. She wouldn't give in. She couldn't. She couldn't betray Konoha…she wouldn't let herself do that.

Not even for the man she loved.

**(A/N: So? It's getting heated, huh? Awe, how nice of you Itachi! (big hug) Sakura's having doubts, but she's finally told herself she loves him! One step forward, two steps back…sigh… And there goes Kisame drinking again. The day we see a chapter where he doesn't drink is the day the world ends.**

**Next chapter? Oh, you're all going to like it.**

**Shikamaru and the others are getting closer. And Sasuke is going to meet up with Sakura.**

**I hope you're all excited. I am. Hehehe.**

**Sorry this chapter was so long in coming. I've been busy. And I had a good birthday, thanks for all the nice Birthday wishes! And thanks for all of your conern and support. I love you all!**

**Sincerely,**

**Your faithful author, Lady Hanaka**

**Saying: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to use the Net and he won't bother you for weeks.**

**P.S. I know some people were wondering about not being able to see the scratch-outs in Sakura's letter in the last chapter. Well, I went through and saw that when I uploaded it, it didn't upload the scratch-out lines. Sorry about that. They really added to the humor and thoughtfulness of the letter. Oh well. It was fine without it.)**


	15. Chapter 14: Closing In, Spiraling Out

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Naruto. I asked for my birthday, but it didn't happen.

**Chapter 14**

**Closing in, Spiraling Out**

Sakura sat in front of Sasori, who was slowly bandaging up her hands. He didn't say anything, but then again, she hadn't expected him to. She flinched as he brushed against the hurt skin. He felt her stiffen and looked up with one eyebrow raised.

Sakura looked down.

"What happened, yeah?" Deidara asked for the thousandth time. He was seated beside Sasori, hovering over his shoulder like a nervous mother. "What were you doing?"

"Nothing." Sakura answered back in a whisper. There was a long moment of silence, as Sasori continued to wrap her hands.

She looked up and saw the hurt look on Deidara's face. She tried to coax a smile out of him by giving one of her own, but it was halfhearted and died quickly. If they hadn't seen it, Deidara and Sasori would have sworn it was never there, it happened so quickly.

"Sakura, you want to come outside with me, yeah?" Deidara asked softly as he stood and Sasori finished with Sakura's hands. Sakura looked to the other side of the room, where Itachi was listening to Kisame talk about something. He looked up and their eyes met. She broke off first, standing as well.

"Hai."

She ignored Itachi's gaze on her back as they headed out of the house and into the cool night.

* * *

Hinata gave a small grunt as she slumped down against the large rock in the clearing. Tenten leaned on her other side, giving a small groan as she rubbed her legs.

"Damn I'm sore."

Hinata nodded silently as she looked at the others. Choji, Shino, Lee, and Kiba were talking together softly.

Neji was leaning against a tree away from the others, staring into the darkness. Hinata bit her lip as she watched him, worried. He really did love Sakura, didn't he? Hinata felt a warm body press against her, and she wrapped her arms around Akamaru's neck as he lay down next to her and Tenten. She buried her face in his fur as she looked over his head at her cousin.

_Hinata rushed down the darkened street, carrying a large brown bag in her arms. She shifted it in her arms as she went, turning a corner._

_Crash._

_Hinata flew backward with a yelp, landing on her bottom. She heard an exclamation of surprise from someone else as well. She brushed the hair out of her eyes as she made to stand and looked up._

_"Sorry about that Hinata." Sakura amended worriedly as she held out a hand. "I didn't see you."_

_"It's alright." Hinata whispered with a small smile as she took the hand put out to her and Sakura pulled her upright. Sakura then bent down and began picking up Hinata's groceries._

_"I-It's alright. You don't h-have to." Hinata began quickly, but was silenced as Sakura shot her a reproachful look. Hinata merely bent down as well, and began gathering the oranges she had bought. _

_"Are those for Naruto's house?" Sakura asked._

_Hinata looked up, startled, as she dropped the oranges in her arms. They bounced onto the ground and she bent down to hurriedly pick them up again. "N-nani?" She knew her face was beet red._

_"You've been sleeping over there the past few nights." Sakura answered back as she placed the items she had retrieved back into the paper sack. She looked to Hinata, who was still blushing furiously. "Oi, Hinata, it's alright. I understand. You miss him. I…" She stopped, and Hinata turned to see her frowning, her lip trembling._

_"What?" Hinata asked slowly._

_"I used to do the same thing." Was all Sakura said as she continued to pick up the last few items. _

_Hinata nodded. "You miss h-him too?"_

_"Hai." Sakura nodded. She didn't add an '_and Sasuke'_, but Hinata heard it, whether it was spoken or not._

_"Oh, Sakura, I a-almost forgot." Hinata gathered the last few items, placing them inside the bag. "N-Neji wanted me to ask you if y-you were coming by the h-house for training t-tomorrow."_

_Sakura gave a small smile. "I wouldn't miss it, Hinata. Tell him I'll definitely be there."_

_Hinata smiled. "Ok." She looked back at Sakura. She was so strong now! And pretty. And smart. Hinata frowned. Not like _her_. No wonder Naruto loved Sakura. Hinata had always known Naruto loved Sakura, but…Hinata had always hoped that he'd see _her_…that he'd notice her too._

It's the same thing, isn't it Neji? I've always been in Sakura's shadow when it comes to Naruto's love…and you've been in Sasuke's when it comes to Sakura, ne? _Hinata gave a small bow to Sakura in thanks for the help. Sakura waved it off with a grin, "Want me to walk with you?"_

_Hinata nodded, and they headed towards Naruto's apartment. _

_"Sakura?"_

_"Hai?"_

_"Do you…do you s-still love S-Sasuke?"_

_There was a long moment of silence. Hinata turned to watch Sakura, and saw that she was looking up at the sky, her face thoughtful. She turned to Hinata with a sad smile, "You know what Hinata, I don't think I do…" She shrugged. "I've always said I'm still in love with him but…I've made myself believe he's never coming back. I guess I just have to move on."_

_"What do you th-think about N-Neji?"_

_Sakura blinked. "Nani?"_

_"He…uh…" Hinata gave a small squeal as she buried her face down in the grocery bag so she wouldn't have to look back at Sakura, who was watching in faint amusement and confusion._

_"Neji?" _

_"H-hai."_

_"I don't know. I mean, he's kind and smart, and he can be funny sometimes. He's cute too. But…I don't know." _

_Hinata heard a small sigh at the end of Sakura's revelation. Hinata bit her lip as she battled within herself on whether or not to speak. "Sakura?"_

_"Hn?"_

_"He likes you." Hinata smiled shakily. "A lot."_

_Sakura stopped walking, and Hinata turned to look back at her. She had a strange look on her face, as if she were happy and sad at the same time. She was rubbing one arm, shuffling her feet. "He does?"_

_"Hai." _

_Sakura nodded. "Oh…Thanks." She tucked a few strands of errant hair out of her eyes. She smiled at Hinata, a genuine Sakura smile. "Thanks a lot." Then she disappeared into the air._

_Hinata noticed that she was standing in front of Naruto's apartment. She slipped open the door and slipped inside slowly. She leaned against the door, the bag still in her arms. What had she done? Was it a good thing? _

_The next day, Hinata saw Sakura talking with Neji during training, and he gave a small smile. They went to the New Year's festival together that night._

_Hinata had never seen her cousin so happy, and…she didn't think she'd seen Sakura that happy for a long while either. _

Hinata continued to watch her cousin, her gaze sympathetic. She'd found Naruto again. He loved her…but who did Neji have? Hinata knew it wasn't Sakura's fault. She had cared deeply for Neji, Hinata knew that, but maybe it just wasn't love the way Hinata loved Naruto.

"We're almost there." Neji whispered into the air, and Hinata and the others turned to look at him. He was staring into the darkness, his Byakugan glowing.

"We're almost there…"

* * *

Shikamaru edged around the corner of the tree, surveying the clearing in front of them for enemy shinobi. He looked back at Temari, Ino, and Naruto, and nodded his head. Everything was clear.

Temari moved ahead of him, taking the lead as she went into the clearing, one hand on her fan. She slowly walked inside of the small shrine at the edge of the clearing, disappearing inside.

Those were the longest moments of Shikamaru's life.

Would Temari come out alive? What if there had been some enemy shinobi in the shrine that they hadn't sensed? What if this was an Akatsuki trap?

Then Temari was walking outside again, holding something in her hands. Shikamaru, Ino, and Naruto appeared in front of her.

"Did you find anything, Temari?" Naruto asked hopefully.

Temari nodded. "Hai." She opened her hand and they all looked down. It was a small, frog key chain, with the chain broken, as if it had fallen off of something.

Naruto grabbed it, "This is Sakura-chan's!"

"How do you know?" Ino asked.

"I gave it to her." He rubbed his finger over the small frog. "This is her's." He looked up at them excitedly. "We have to be close. We have to be."

"Well, we at least know we're going in the right direction." Shikamaru shrugged. Ino and Temari nodded, while Naruto continued to rub the frog thoughtfully, his gaze never leaving it.

Ino placed a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, we're bunking here for the night."

"But we're so close!" He wailed, sounding desperate, eyes alight in his fervor to find his friend. "Sakura-chan is waiting for us! I'm not going to stop. She needs me. I won't abandon her!"  
"We're not abandoning her." Shikamaru snapped. "We're getting some sleep so we'll be well rested to _rescue_ her, Naruto."

"Don't make me knock you out, baka." Ino muttered as she curled up in her cloak. "I'll do it, too. You won't be helping Sakura if you faint from exhaustion. What kind of a rescue party will we be if we don't have enough chakra to even fight back?"

Naruto opened his mouth to argue but stopped as Temari shot him a dirty look. He closed it as he gave a small huff of annoyance. "Fine."

Shikamaru gave a sigh and a shake of his head as he and Temari leaned against each other.

Naruto watched them fall asleep, still holding each other's hands. Ino was asleep too. Naruto shrugged deeper into his cloak as he listened to the forest sounds. He gripped the key chain tightly in his hand, afraid to let go.

_Oi, Sakura-chan. I'm coming._

He closed his eyes briefly, and then opened them. His vision was blurry but he ignored the tears. He missed her.

_Naruto watched her as they stood at the edge of the gate. Jiraiya was watching them rather impatiently. "Hurry it up, Naruto."_

_Naruto frowned at him, before he looked back at Sakura. She was watching him worriedly, the tears filling her eyes. He gave her a weak smile. "I'll be coming back, Sakura-chan."_

_Sakura nodded silently, though she sniffled._

_"And when I come back, me, you, and teme can be a team again, ne? We'll take the ANBU Exam together, and the Jônin Exam. And I'll become Hokage, and Teme will be an ANBU captain, and you'll be the best medical shinobi ever and a great mom."_

_Sakura gave a weak laugh. "A mother?"_

_"Hai. You're better with kids than Sasuke. You'll be a great mom and your kid is going to be better than the three legendary Sannin combined and the Akatsuki leader, and anyone else with power!" He finished lamely, not knowing who else to include._

_Sakura shook her head, even as the tears made their way down her cheeks. "I do like children." She agreed with another sniffle._

_Naruto stepped closer to her, cupping his cheek in her hand. He brushed a few tears away as he smiled at her confidently. "Will it make you happy, if we're a team again? I just want you to be happy, Sakura-chan! Why can't you be happy? Please…I just want…you to be _happy_."_

_He then turned away abruptly, not looking back as he and Jiraiya walked out of the gate. _

_"Promise me you'll come back!"_

_Naruto slowly turned around to see her watching him, hugging herself as she watched them walk away. Her shoulders were shaking. _

_Naruto nodded. "I promise."_

_Sakura gave a small smile as she nodded too. "Then I promise _you_, Naruto…if you come back here…to me…then I'll be happy, ne?"_

_It struck Naruto deeply; the fact that she had said merely that she wanted _him_ back. There was nothing about Sasuke. No, 'promise me you'll bring back my Sasuke-kun and I'll be happy, Naruto'. Just, 'if _you_ come back to me, then I'll be happy'. Maybe she didn't love him like he had hoped all his life, but she still loved him like a brother. And that's all he wanted now. He wanted Sakura to be happy because she was the most precious person to him in the world._

_Sasuke may have been his friend…_

_…but Sakura was his _best_ friend. She was his sister, his mother, and sometimes even the girlfriend he had always wanted._

_Naruto grinned at her, "Hai Sakura-chan. I'll hold you to your promise."_

_"The same goes for me." Sakura whispered._

_Naruto then sped off with Jiraiya. He looked back once, to see Sakura still watching them from the gate. She had slipped down to her knees, sobbing helplessly. He wanted to go back and comfort her, but he couldn't. He had to be strong. He had to fulfill his promise. He'd bring back Sasuke too._

_That way, Sakura would have to fulfill hers. And then…they'd all be happy. _

* * *

Sakura looked up at the sky. She and Deidara were in the flower garden behind the Temple. It was quiet, with the exception of the crickets. They chirped cheerfully in the background, as if mocking her.

Sakura hugged her knees to herself as she watched Deidara beside her. He was looking at her worriedly, as if he wanted to help her but he didn't know how.

"Deidara…?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that they hate me now?" Sakura asked softly. "My old friends, I mean."

Deidara gave a small sigh as he leaned back, looking up at the sky. "Your friends love you very much, Sakura. Or at least, from what I've seen, yeah."

"Hai." Was the soft reply.

"I bet you that even now, they are looking for you. They don't hate you, yeah."

"What about when they find out I'm in Akatsuki?"

Deidara shrugged. "I think they'd still love you, Sakura-chan, yeah."

"…but what if I betrayed them?" She asked hoarsely.

Deidara blinked, looking back at her. She was staring into the shadows, her gaze afraid. She was blinking furiously, as if trying to hold back tears. She wouldn't look at him, just stared ahead into the darkness.

"You haven't, yeah."

Sakura nodded numbly. That wasn't the answer she was looking for. "But what if I did? No one can love someone else when they've betrayed them."

"Naruto still considered Sasuke his friend after he betrayed all of Konoha to go with Orochimaru, didn't he, yeah?"

Sakura turned to look at Deidara, her gaze grateful. "I…I guess so…"

Deidara gave her a lopsided grin. "You're the type of person who you can't hate, Sakura-chan. No matter what you do, your friends will always love you and they'll always support you, yeah. I've seen it in their eyes, the few times I've met them. They'd do anything to keep you safe and to see you happy."

"I think…I think you're right, Deidara." Sakura murmured softly. "I…thank you." She closed her eyes as the few tears escaped from beneath her eyelids.

Deidara watched the tears fall. _I'd like to be reincarnated as one of your tears, Sakura-chan yeah…because I'd be born in your eyes, live on your face, and die on your lips._ He continued to watch her, not allowing himself any closer. _That would be the perfect way to die, ne?_

"I got you some things, Sakura-chan, yeah." Deidara began. "When you told me you liked to garden, I went down to the village and bought you some tools." He pulled a spade out of his cloak. "And I got you a hat too, yeah, so you don't get sunburnt."

Sakura gave a small laugh as she leaned against his shoulder. "That's nice of you. Arigato, Deidara. Maybe I can begin gardening tomorrow."

"That would be great, yeah. Kisame, Itachi, Sasori, and I are heading off tomorrow. We'll be back by nightfall, of course. It'll be a simple mission."

Sakura nodded. "Right."

They stayed in silence for a long time.

"Deidara?"

"Hai?"

"Thanks for being such a great friend."

"No problem, yeah." Deidara slung an arm around her shoulders, "But I think you need to go and sleep."

"I guess so."

"Come on sleepy-head, let's get to into bed yeah."

* * *

Kakashi stood in front of the memorial stone in Konoha. The sun's first morning rays were breaking over the Hokage Faces, illuminating the entire sleeping town in a warm light.

But he didn't feel any of it. Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets as he continued to look at the stone. There was a new name etched into it. Sakura's.

He would never be able to protect his teammates, would he?

She may not have been dead, but she was as closed off from him as possible. His little Sakura-chan. The weak member of Team Seven. She wasn't so weak now, was she?

Kakashi wondered how long he stood in front of the stone each morning. For so long it had been just him, standing there and looking at Obito's name. After a while, Sakura had been standing beside him, holding his hand as they stared on in silence and she would talk about how Sasuke and Naruto were never coming back.

He would try and be optimistic and tell her they were coming back to her, just for her. Just to see their Sakura-chan again. But the lies had stuck in his throat and he had merely remained silent.

And now…now there was no one to stand with him. He was more lost than ever. No Sakura. After Sasuke and Naruto had left, he had doubted himself so much. He'd hated himself for not being able to stop Sasuke's fall, or Naruto's departure.

Sakura had helped him to accept the fact that he couldn't do everything. That it all happened for a reason.

But she was gone now.

He'd felt so guilty when he'd stood there with her, looking at that stone. He'd seen Obito's name and he had realized that he had never believed in Sakura, just like he hadn't believed in Obito when he had needed him to most.

He had never given Sakura the proper training she had needed, so she had sought it from someone else. She had become so strong. She had been so _promising_…

…and then Sasuke had come back.

Kakashi wondered, if Sasuke hadn't been there with them when they had gone to get her back, would she have come with them?

Sakura had sworn she'd never give up on a friend. That she'd never hurt any of her friends…but Kakashi was hurting so badly now. It wasn't visible, but he felt as if he were bleeding all over. He was alone again.

He'd always had Sakura to be there for him.

And now he was alone again.

_The two shinobi leaned against the tree, chests heaving. Their faces were hidden behind ANBU masks, one a fox, the other a cat. The sign of Konoha was carved onto the pale forehead of each. They wore the normal black ANBU cloak, now stained and ripped._

_Kakashi pushed back his hood, revealing silver hair that caught the last rays of the setting sun. He slipped off his fox mask, breathing in deeply from beneath his other mask, which covered the lower half of his face. He slid down slowly to the base of the limb, his legs sprawled out in front of him. Sweat dripped from his forehead, slipping down the ridge of his nose before the droplet hit his pant leg._

_The second figure also took off her mask and brushed back her hood. She remained standing shakily, holding onto a kunai for reassurance. She breathed in deeply, wincing as she placed a hand to her side. _

_"Kakashi, how are your injuries?"_

_Kakashi looked up at his ANBU partner. His entire right side felt like it was on fire, but he didn't think she was any better. Besides, what could she do now that she hadn't done before? He shifted, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He tried not to touch his leg. He winced as the movement jostled it._

_"I think it's broken." He muttered through gritted teeth. _

_The kunoichi knelt next to him then, apparently oblivious to her own injuries. She pushed back his ANBU cloak, revealing his Jônin outfit. Several maroon stains were slowly growing larger. Kakashi blinked as he saw green chakra flicker on her fingertips, it's light barely a glow._

_"Don't try it. You can't force your chakra Sa—" He was silenced as the female shinobi placed a hand over his mouth, one hand going for a weapon. _

_Sakura Haruno took her hand from his mouth as she felt the enemy shinobi's chakra levels slowly fade away. She then placed her hand on his leg at the break. Her fingers began glowing faintly once more with green chakra. "Do you have the scroll?"_

_"Hai." Kakashi nodded. "But that was sloppy of us. We should have seen them coming a mile away."_

_"We were overconfident. Our informant wasn't entirely truthful." Sakura amended with a small nod. "Fifty ANBU is a large leap from ten."_

_Kakashi nodded with a small laugh, but he winced with a cough. "You can't heal me Sakura. I'm going to die. Just let it go. I've lost more blood than I can live without. So have you. Use the last of your chakra to heal your own wounds."_

_"I'll be the judge of severity here, Kakashi. I am the one with the medical training." Sakura spoke back crisply, slowly resetting the break in his leg. "Take off your vest and shirt, Kakashi. I'm going to need to dress your wounds when I finish with this."_

_Kakashi merely did as he was told, slipping off his cloak, vest, and shirt. He already felt an immense relief in his leg, though it still hurt like hell. Sakura didn't have enough chakra to numb the pain, so he felt everything as she slowly reset it, forcing the bone to grow at an abnormal rate. _

_When she finished, her sweat was slowly dripping onto his bare chest. She blinked, not wanting to get it in her eyes as she brushed her sleeve across her forehead. She gave a small sigh as she grabbed her pack, pulling out a cloth and some bandages. She pulled out a small bottle of clear liquid, soaking the cloth in it. She coughed into her sleeve, seeing the blood fleck across her sleeve. She ignored it, and tried to ignore the fact that Kakashi had seen it as well._

_"We were ready for ten of them…but not fifty." Kakashi began hoarsely; trying to keep his mind off of the cloth that Sakura was bringing up to his shoulder. He bit his lip with a hiss as the disinfectant came in contact with his wounds. He watched as she wiped away the blood around it. The wound was large. He wasn't surprised, however. He was more surprised that his arm hadn't been severed off._

_Sakura nodded as she began tightly winding bandages around the wound and a splint, "Three of your ribs are broken." She answered back matter-of-factly. "I don't have enough chakra to reset them. You'll have to wait until we get back to Konoha."_

_Kakashi nodded silently. He looked to Sakura and marveled at the confidence and self-assuredness that she now held. When she had been younger, she had always doubted herself and her own skills, knowing that she was weak. Her younger self would have panicked at the mere sight of blood, crying and sobbing hopelessly._

Look at my little Sakura now_…Kakashi eyes lighted with pride as he watched the bent head in front of him, working diligently. _She's all grown up.

_Kakashi would have laughed at the absurdity of the situation. The weakest member of Team Seven was the one he now looked to for strength. But…he was dying. So was she… After all, she had been acting on full bravado when she'd said they'd get back to Konoha. She was a great actor, since she'd been lying through her teeth. They were both dying. And they both knew it._

_"Sakura…I have to…tell you something." Kakashi managed. He had to tell her she was important to him. He had to tell her was proud of her…he couldn't let her die like Obito did, without knowing…_

_Sakura looked up at him. "Don't talk. It will take too much of your strength." She turned to the large gash on his stomach. She cleaned it, but as she placed her hands over the wound, her chakra flitted then died. This wound was large, and it continued to ooze blood. She blinked furiously. Then she bit her lip, looking up at Kakashi. _

_"Do you trust me?"_

_Kakashi's eyes widened. "Of course I do, Sakura."_

_"Alright." Sakura breathed in deeply, placing two fingers to the wound on her own stomach. She took them off, her fingers soaked in the crimson liquid. She began making kanji symbols around his wound in a circle. Kakashi watched in strange fascination._

_Then Sakura did a few rapid hand seals, before placing her fingers in the five gaps between the letters. A small amount of chakra splashed onto his skin, cooling under her touch. The bloody kanji swirled and melted down into his wound. He gave a small gasp, but looked down to see that it was no longer bleeding._

_Sakura swayed slightly as she leaned back, taking her hand from him. She breathed in sharp, rapid breaths. "That was the last of my chakra." She then bandaged the wound to keep out infection. She gritted her teeth as she slipped off her own ANBU cloak. _

_Kakashi watched her, feeling like a weak fool since he couldn't move. But the tingling sensation from Sakura's jutsus had yet to fade, and besides that, he had no strength to move at all. _

_Sakura slipped off the upper half of her shinobi outfit, and Kakashi turned away out of respect. _

_He looked out of the corner of his eye to see the large, gaping wound in her stomach. She had a hand pressed against it, the blood seeping through her fingers as she closed her eyes in a grimace. Kakashi saw a greenish tint around her fingers, no longer even a glow, and knew she was disinfecting the wound. She took her blood-soaked hand away from her stomach and pulled out some more bandages. She began wrapping the wound tightly, trying not to grimace. Kakashi was proud of her. She didn't cry out once._

_But then again, Sakura never cried anymore. _

_She was so different than the young Sakura he used to know. Her eyes were duller and harder, no longer a bright, glistening emerald. More like the faded leaves of an old, dying tree. _

_Kakashi had been there to watch it all. In the beginning, it wasn't that easy to spot. She would fake smiles and hang around with her friends, but he could see her screaming and crying behind her happy eyes. She was so good at pretending now._

_He had watched her die inside._

_And there was nothing he could do to stop it._

She's alive and I still can't save her. I said I'd never let another one of my teammates die…but what can I do?_ Kakashi thought to himself as she leaned up against him, catching her breath. _

_She was always away on missions. She didn't like staying in Konoha for long. If Tsunade didn't assign her a mission, she would assign herself one, since she was in charge of the ANBU rosters. _

_When Tsunade had learned about this, she'd made Sakura stop. She'd forced her to remain in Konoha for long periods of time, with her own office and everything. It didn't last long._

_When something drastic came along, she always sent for Sakura. Not because she knew Sakura wanted the mission, but because she knew that Sakura was one of the only people qualified for it. _

_This had been one of those missions._

_"I think…I think we're close to the border of Konohagakure." Sakura managed to gasp out, looking over at Kakashi. She saw him smile at her, a weak smile. She returned it. _

_Kakashi memorized the smile, holding it close to himself. It was like all of her others now: fake, or sad. All the happy ones were fake, and the genuine ones were sad and lonely. But they were still beautiful. He memorized it, because he knew it was the last one he'd ever see. They were both dying…the mission had been impossible. No one could have survived it. Not even a legendary Sannin could have successfully made it through that mission and survived._

_It was suicidal._

_Kakashi merely wished he could have seen a real Sakura smile…he missed those. It had been years since he'd seen Sakura give a happy smile that wasn't fake. Kakashi blinked as he felt himself being lifted up._

_Sakura shifted him on her back, "Hold onto me around my neck." She ordered as she breathed in deeply. His legs hit against her wounded side, but she didn't seem bothered by it._

_"Sakura, you can't do this. You don't have the strength left. Leave me behind and go to Konoha. Get help and bring it back."_

_"You idiot. We both know you'll die out here without proper care. No one could go to Tsunade and get back here in time. I'm carrying you because you can't move. It's my shinobi way, just like yours, remember? Never leave a teammate behind? Protect those precious to you with your life?"_

_"I knew I should have never taught you that." Kakashi muttered darkly as Sakura began jumping through the trees. He was surprised at the fact that she could even move. He saw the pain flicker through her eyes as she ran, but she never so much as whimpered or cried out. Her mouth was compressed in a tight line. _

_Kakashi felt himself begin to get sleepy. Blood loss was making him drowsy. Also, his chakra levels were zero. He was too tired to do anything. He eyes began closing, and the last thing he saw was a group of Konoha ANBU landing in front of them, their cloaks blending into the shadows of the forest._

_He let out a small, relieved laugh as he fell unconscious. _

Kakashi blinked as a bird flew through the clearing, twittering. He gave a small sigh as he traced the names carved inside of the stone one last time. Then he began heading back towards Tsunade's office in the vain hope that they'd gotten word on Sakura's whereabouts.

* * *

Sasuke whipped through the trees, eyes blazing crimson. So close…he could almost smell it.

_**"You can obtain the Mangekou Sharingan by murdering your closest friend." **_

Itachi's words echoed throughout his mind. He wouldn't do that, of course. He would never kill Naruto, even if the idiot was mad at him for what he had said to Sakura. He wondered, however, if he could gain it by killing the woman he loved.

Surely it was the same thing?

And that way, he wouldn't have any regrets.

Sasuke landed on a tree branch, balancing on his heels. He listened intently to the sounds of the forest around him. It was quiet. The wind shifted, blowing across his face. It was cold, but he ignored it. The morning air in the mountains was always cold.

He jumped onto the ground, his footsteps not making a sound as he flitted through the trees.

He pressed up against one of the trees that edged the large clearing. He saw the large temple in the distance. A small dirt road a few meters from where he stood winded its way through the forest and into the clearing towards the temple.

Sasuke felt excitement and anger bubble inside of his stomach as he smiled triumphantly. _I have you now, Sakura._

He knew Itachi and the others were gone. He had felt their chakra signatures fade far away earlier in the morning. It was just him and Sakura. He'd kill her, get the scroll for Tomokazu, and then wait for Itachi.

It was all working out perfectly.

He heard the door of the temple open and he stiffened, eyes narrowing as he pulled a kunai out of his pack. This was it…

He rushed forward to the back of the house, where he heard soft footsteps. Someone had been walking on the porch. Something gave a small 'thunk' as it was placed on the wooden porch, before more footsteps were heard. He peered around the side of the house, his kunai still in hand as he stepped around the corner.

Her back was to him.

She was sitting among the flowers, a large bandana holding her hair back and blocking her face from the sun, almost completely hiding the pink. But a few tendrils blew in the morning wind. She was wearing a working gi and hakama. She was humming a soft tune as she worked. She hadn't sensed him yet. She was completely unarmed.

He took another step forward and a twig snapped.

He saw her stiffen, before she turned around slowly, almost fearfully. Her wide, jade eyes met his hate filled crimson ones, and time seemed to stop.

"…Sasuke?"

**(A/N: Hehehe, sorry about the cliffhanger. I had to do it. Hope you all liked the chapter. The next one will definitely be action packed and filled with angst. Great time to run out on us Akatsuki! Grr! Poor Sakura is all alone now.**

**Poor Kakashi, his part was sad. I love that man. **

**The confrontation continues…in the next chapter.**

**See ya later, **

**Your evil cliffhanger queen, Lady Hanaka**

**Question: If con is the opposite of pro, then what is the opposite of progress?)**


	16. Chapter 15: Hate Me

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still don't own Naruto. And now with my stupid extra electrician bills I'll NEVER be able to buy it!

**Chapter 15**

**Hate Me**

"…Sasuke?"

Sasuke braced himself as she turned. He ignored the stirring in his stomach as he watched her, eyes wide.

She was just like he remembered.

Beautiful.

For a moment he returned to those pleasant times when he, Sakura, and Naruto were a team, walking down the streets of Konoha. Naruto would be strolling out front, talking over his shoulder at them, while Sakura tagged along beside Sasuke, getting as close to him as possible as she bantered and giggled about something.

Perfect.

And then the image shifted, to the moment when Sakura had grabbed his hand, stopping his attack on Itachi.

And his rage came back in an instant. He threw three kunai, which thudded into the soft earth where Sakura had been kneeling. One of them sliced a few stems of the flowers she'd been planting.

_Sakura…you brought this upon yourself._

She landed on her feet, eyes full of hurt, though they were still serious and perceptive. She watched his movements suspiciously. Sasuke lunged forward, trying to catch her off guard. _You're weak Sakura. You can't hope to fight me._

_This is what you get, Sakura. This is what happens to those I vow to kill. Those who betray me._

Sakura jumped backwards, grabbing one of the kunai that had been embedded into the ground, throwing it up to block the rain of shuriken that came at her from where Sasuke stood.

Sakura watched him, her fingers shaking slightly as she gripped the kunai tighter.

_Sasuke…how could you do this? Why?_

But she knew why. He wanted to kill her because she had gone with his brother. She, the one he had always trusted had, in his eyes, broken that trust and betrayed him. The old Sakura would have fallen down and cried, begging Sasuke to forgive her. To take her back because she was sorry. That she'd never do it again…

But Sakura didn't.

She merely got into a fighting stance, tensing her muscles and ignoring the conscience in the back of her mind and the way her stomach fluttered and a small part of her screamed at her and told her it wasn't too late to go back with Sasuke now, if she just said she was sorry.

_Stop it Sakura! This is Sasuke! This is Sasuke-kun! You love him, remember?_

_Don't do it. You don't have to prove anything. Go back with him. Tell him you're sorry. Ask for his forgiveness… _

But ANBU Sakura was back.

It was surprising to Sakura, the fact that she could still be a strong kunoichi around Sasuke. She'd always faltered and been distracted around her long-time crush. But not anymore…even as she felt the hurt and the sting of his words from when she had left the Konoha shinobi for the Akatsuki and she saw the hatred burning in his crimson Sharingan eyes…she remained strong. She had to.

To prove to herself that she was strong…she couldn't back down.

And then maybe, Itachi would see that she was strong too.

His leg shot forward and Sakura brought up her arm, blocking it. His fist came next, which she grabbed in her other hand. She let out a small grunt as she threw him across the clearing.

She didn't want to kill him…she just had to wear him out. She had to defeat him. She could win and show him that she was the strongest. That she had succeeded. She wasn't that damn weak kunoichi who had fawned over him for so many years.

Little Sakura-chan seemed to disappear completely. ANBU Sakura was in complete control. And every little thing Sasuke had ever done to her rose up in front of her eyes. And suddenly Sakura's own anger rushed up from behind the barriers she had placed, and she took a deep breath. "You _bastard_."

_Sakura, why are talking to Sasuke-kun like that? I love Sasuke-kun! Don't do this!_

He slowly stood from where he had landed on the ground, wiping the small amount of blood off of his bottom lip. His eyes narrowed. "You don't have a right to call me that. You're the one who betrayed _me_."

_He's right, Sakura. We betrayed him. Ask him to forgive us. He'll do it. He said he loved me before. He'll love me again and I'll be _happy

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she gritted her teeth. "You stubborn ass. I didn't betray you!"

_I wouldn't be happy. I can't be happy living a lie._

"You went with Itachi—"

"I stopped you from killing needlessly." Sakura finished, gripping the kunai tighter. She felt chakra building up around Sasuke. She looked up into his crimson Sharingan and narrowed her own eyes; "You've always judged people too quickly, Sasuke."

She saw the Chidori building in his hand, the brought blue and white chakra lighting up the clearing. He was resorting to that move already? Of course, Sakura could feel his anger clearly. It was almost tangible.

"Shut up!" And he began charging across the clearing, his Chidori singing.

Sakura slammed her fists into the ground, forcing up boulders and earth everywhere.

Sasuke jumped, smirking as he passed the debris. Sakura was so foolish sometimes. Did she truly believe she could surprise him with her attack? His Sharingan could predict her movements. He couldn't be fooled by such a simple trick.

When suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his back as he flew into a tree on the other side of the clearing. It snapped in two, shooting splinters beneath his skin. He landed on the ground, his Chidori fading as he breathed in the smell of the damp earth. He stood shakily, breathing raggedly.

He brushed the dirt off of his pants.

He saw Sakura standing on the other side of the clearing, fists clenched. She was watching him angrily, her gaze hard, cold…and hurt. He'd expected the hurt and pain, but nothing else. He'd expected Sakura to beg him to forgive her.

He'd expected her to be weak, like she had always been.

He was wrong.

A drop of sweat slid down his forehead. He blinked it away as he continued to watch her. To watch this Sakura that he had never seen before. She was so…strong. Surely this was the ANBU captain that he had heard so much about.

But was it Sakura? How could the weak member of team seven be an ANBU captain?

"You never let people explain anything, you just jump to conclusions. You ruin people's lives that way, or didn't you know that already?" Sakura continued harshly.

Sasuke watched her calculatingly. How had she predicted his movements? Surely she couldn't have caught up with him. He was faster than she was. Sasuke created a clone, sending it towards Sakura while he went around the back, unsheathing his sword.

"Did my brother teach you to fight like this, Sakura?" _Keep her distracted. She's always been easy to trick and divert._

Sakura let out a small, scathing laugh as she dodged his clone's oncoming attacks. "Do you have so little faith in me, Sasuke? I became an ANBU captain on my own, without Itachi's help." She knew she'd struck a nerve, calling Itachi by his first name so casually around Sasuke. She'd almost been tempted to say Itachi-_kun_, but she knew she would have gone too far. And in truth…she didn't want to hurt Sasuke. In the back of her mind, she wanted him to forgive her.

But there was nothing to forgive. She'd done nothing wrong.

"Or is that what bother's you? The fact that the weakest kunoichi in all of Konoha is stronger than you?"

Sasuke let out a growl as he shot forward, sword ready. Sakura parried with her kunai, kicking back his clone in the process. They were locked together, face to face. Sasuke's blood red eyes glared into Sakura's cool jade.

"Because if I'm stronger than you, it means you are completely weak. It means you accomplished _nothing_. It means that you can never avenge your Clan—"

Sasuke let out a strangled roar as he pushed forward, catching Sakura off-balance. She fell onto the ground with a gasp, before jumping back up. But he was in her guard. Sasuke shot his sword forward.

Time seemed to slow.

He felt his blade go cleanly through and saw Sakura's beautiful eyes widen in surprise and pain.

Sasuke felt her dying weight fall against him as she coughed. Her blood stained the back of his shirt. He felt the warmth from them as they seeped through the thin cloth.

_My god. I killed Sakura…_A part of him moaned in anguish. But it was suppressed. Sasuke breathed raggedly as he whispered into her dying ear. "You're still a weakling, Sakura. This is what you get for betraying me. This is what you get for going with _him._"

Suddenly there was a soft chuckle from the dead weight leaning against him, in a voice very different than Sakura's. "Stop the tough act. You're just being a self-righteous bastard, _Sasuke-kun_." His name was purred.

Sasuke tried to back up, but his arms were held in place. He blinked as the illusion disappeared. Wooden fingers gripped him roughly, and course wood brushed against his cheek. He looked down into the face of a puppet, painted like a geisha.

He was turned around expertly, and he couldn't move. He struggled, but he couldn't escape. He looked to the porch and froze.

Sakura was sitting down, leaning against one of the support beams. Small strings of chakra went from her to the geisha puppet holding him.

_A puppet jutsu…where did she learn that?_ Sasuke thought angrily. _I was being beaten by a puppet? Sakura was sitting there the entire time…_ He remembered hearing the soft 'thunk' as something was placed upon the porch. He had thought Sakura had been putting down some gardening tools.

But Sakura had merely been sitting down and waiting, her puppet drawing Sasuke in.

And he was completely at her mercy.

Sakura stood, slowly walking up to him. Her hands shook as she stopped in front of him.

Slap.

Sasuke felt the bright sting. He would have reached up his hand to rub his red cheek, but it was impossible to do with his arms caught behind his back. His Sharingan blazed as he tried to break free of the puppet.

Sakura breathed in a ragged breath, glaring at him. She would not cry. "How the hell dare you? Who are you, to talk to me about betrayal?"

Sasuke continued to merely watch her.

"You who left me for Orochimaru…who betrayed all of Konoha…who betrayed _me_ for power?" She shook her head as she gave a hurt, dry smile and a short laugh. "You are one hypocritical bastard."

Sasuke shifted. He didn't like what he was hearing. Sakura always had a way of making him listen, even when they were younger. And she could always…always make him doubt himself.

"You tell me that you loved me. That we could have had a family together if I went back with you and let you kill Itachi. Sasuke, do you even know what love is?"

He said nothing.

"Of course you don't. You've never been loved by anyone, so how could you have known what it was like? You never let anyone love you after that night, because you were afraid of being hurt again. I tried Sasuke. I tried and you never let me in." She clenched her hands, not liking the sadness that had entered her voice. _Be strong._

"What makes you think you can waltz back into my life and decide that it's finally time to take notice of my feelings? I spent my entire life waiting for you to love me. I was waiting for so long." She felt more anger rush forward, but she suppressed it. Because underneath the anger was…pity.

Sasuke resisted the urge to clamp his eyes shut and cover his ears like a little child. He felt as if his mother was yelling at him for doing something wrong and he was about to be punished for it. He didn't want to hear her get angry. It had always made him afraid. It took so much to make her angry. Surely it was bad.

"I am _done_ waiting." She gave a small sigh as she ran a hand through her hair, looking up at him, eyes a simple, leaf green filled with weariness. "I loved all three of you. My boys." She let out another sad laugh. "I loved you all, even if it wasn't how you wanted to be loved. Naruto wanted more than sisterly love. Kakashi was like you; he didn't want to be hurt again. And I guess…I guess you just wanted companionship back then. But I was foolish. I was a young, naïve girl who wanted a boyfriend."

She reached out a hand and dropped it. Her voice took on a bitter tone. "And then you took my trust and my love and you killed it. You left me. I begged you to take me with you. I told you I would follow you to the ends of the earth. All I ever wanted was to make you happy. I thought…I thought that you loving me and me making you happy would make _me_ happy."

Sasuke was a prisoner, he could only sit and watch her. Listen to her words that struck true and forced him to realize his own faults.

"And you left me. Because even then, your revenge has always been more important to you than anything else. What happens, Sasuke, when it's over? I won't be waiting for you anymore. What will you do after its all over and done with?"

Sasuke opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"What will you do then, _Sasuke-kun_?" She asked sarcastically, her eyes glittering. "Because you will have no one. You'll have no friends. No one to love. You'll be alone again. You'll have nothing. You will have given up everything for your small moment of fading glory."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. _You're wrong Sakura. It won't fade. I have to kill him for what he's done to my family and me. And now…for taking _you_ away from me. He deserves to die for ruining my life._

"I've never betrayed you. I've always loved you. I still do…but not in that sense, ne?" She gave another sigh as she lifted a hand, touching his cheek with a small, sardonic smile. "How can I?"

_Sakura…come back with me. I'll forgive you. Oh god how can I not? I thought I was ready to kill you but…I…I _can't

"You never let me explain myself before, Sasuke. And now, you have to listen to me. You need to know why I chose what I did. I did it because they are my friends: Sasori, Deidara, Kisame. I did it because it is my shinobi way. And I did it because I wanted to get away from those hurtful things you said to me."

Sasuke looked down at the ground. He suddenly felt a small wave of guilt, which was strange. He had never felt guilty about any of his actions. Only one before…when he had left Sakura the first time.

"I wasn't betraying you. I was running away." She stood tall. "But I have no regrets. Everything happens for a reason. My shinobi way is to protect the ones I love. I love you, but I love them too." _And I love _him_…_

"Things can never go back to the way they were. I don't want to turn back time, and I wouldn't even if I could. Some things just happen and we have to accept them, ne? And I think, Sasuke, that it is time you understand that too."

And then she reached forward and kissed him lightly on the forehead.

Sasuke's eyes widened for a small second.

_Can you understand how important this is to me now, Sasuke? That kiss, it was a promise. It's special, even if you don't understand it. That kiss means everything._

And suddenly the puppet let him go. It seemed to shrink, until it became a small doll. It landed on the ground with a small thump, the chakra gone. Sakura was watching him with a sad, sympathetic gaze.

Waiting.

Sasuke clenched his hands.

Sakura watched him, wondering what he was going to do. Would he attack her again? If he did…she'd have to hurt him. She'd have to fight him. And she'd have to win.

He lifted his hand and brushed a lock of her hair out of her eyes. He dropped his hand like a dead weight, looking at her.

…

…

…

The Sharingan was gone, replaced by a deep, navy blue.

…

…

…

"Very well. I…forgive you."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't need your forgiveness, Sasuke. I didn't' do anything wrong."

Sasuke looked out at the trees with a small grunt. "Hn." He turned to see Sakura looking down at her ruined garden. "After I kill Itachi, will you come back to Konoha with me?"

Sakura gave a small sigh. "No, Sasuke." She didn't say anything more about Itachi. And she didn't voice her opinions about how she doubted he could beat him. She was…afraid for that moment. She didn't know what she'd do. And she didn't want to think about it.

"Why?" His brows furrowed in confusion.

"I have my own place now. And my dream and shinobi way lead me far from Konoha." She touched his arm. "I know you can't understand it, and I know you don't like it. But all I ask…is that you consider the fact that it might make me happy, to be where I belong."

_I waited too long, didn't I Sakura? And now you're too far from me. I can never get you back. It's all my fault. _

_But like you said…things happen for a reason, don't they. I guess this is me accepting that._

Sasuke reached into his pocket. He pulled out a headband, handing it to Sakura. "Here. It's yours."

Sakura reached for it, before pressing it back into his hands with a small shake of her head. "I want you to keep it, Sasuke. As a sign of our friendship. You will always be my friend, Sasuke. One of my precious people."

It struck him deeply. Her words had always been precious and important to him. But now…more so than ever…they meant everything. A small warmth crept into his chest. It had been so cold before. But he wondered if maybe, by accepting this, he could gain back a bit more warmth.

Sasuke reached behind his head and undid his own headband. He handed it to Sakura.

"Here."

Sakura hesitantly took it, before slipping it into place on her forehead.

_His headband? Is all forgiven then?_

_Oh Sasuke…I know how hard this is for you, but I have to do it. I hope you can forgive me for my choices. I know they hurt you but I…I want to know what ti feels like to be happy._

_Even for just a little._

Sasuke was tying on her old headband. They stared at each other for a moment as Sakura gave a shaky smile.

"Thank you."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as he remembered that night so long ago, when he had left Sakura for Sound. The last words he'd said to her.

_**"Thank you." **_

And then he'd knocked her unconscious.

Sadly, he knew it was because she was going to leave. Either that, or he was. It was a parting to them now, those two simple words. But it wasn't as sad as he had thought. He still loved her. She was his teammate and one of the only people who had ever understood him. He could never be like that with anyone else.

But Sasuke still hated Itachi. He would never forgive him. And he still resented Sakura slightly for stopping him. But he could not deny that Sakura was right. He had to accept some things.

And Sakura being with the Akatsuki members was one of those things. Even if it meant that she was near Itachi. Because there was nothing he could do to stop her. He would get stronger, and he would fight Itachi. And then, just maybe, he could prove to her that she should come back to him.

He would have Sakura back and they would get married and restore his clan and be happy.

And everything would be perfect again.

He knew he was supposed to leave, but he never got the chance.

"Touching, Sakura. What a wonderful way to calm the beast."

Both Sakura and Sasuke turned to see Tomokazu.

Sakura's eyes widened. "No." She began in horror, standing in front of Sasuke protectively, as an instinct reaction rather than as a thought. "What are you doing here?"

_My god…he's here and I'm alone. I can't let him hurt Sasuke. But…what if Tomokazu knows that I destroyed the scroll? Oh god, oh god…_

"I came for the scroll, dear Sakura. You see, Sasuke was going to keep you preoccupied and kill you, while I obtained what you stole from me." He gave a cold smile. "But of course, some parts of the plan have changed."

Sakura's eyes flickered to Sasuke, but they immediately went back to Tomokazu. "Oh?"

"The scroll isn't here." Tomokazu's eyes narrowed. "And do you know what I think, Sakura?"

"You thought, Tomokazu, what a rare surprise." Sakura didn't know why she enjoyed angering him. She knew what he could do…but she had to at least feign confidence and strength.

Tomokazu's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Sakura's stomach plummeted. "I think that you need to tell me who has it."

Sakura gave a small laugh, full of fake bravado. "Don't count on it." Her hand slipped to the small scroll in her back pocket.

"Go away, Tomokazu-san. I won't help you get this scroll of yours. I will find and kill Itachi myself." Sasuke answered back coolly as he came to stand beside Sakura, instead of behind her. Sakura almost thought it was more for pride's sake than anything else, until she realized that he had no idea how strong Tomokazu was.

"Get back, Sasuke. He's dangerous."

Sasuke shot Sakura a strange look. He remembered those old times when Team Seven had been on a dangerous mission and he had jumped in front of her.

_**"Stay back, Sakura. This could be dangerous." **_

Tomokazu took a step forward. "Tell me what I want to know, Sakura, and I will spare your life and that of the weak little Uchiha."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the small insult, but he said nothing as he watched Sakura. She rubbed a thumb over a scroll tucked into the back of her pants. She stared up at Tomokazu boldly. "No. Now leave here and I promise I won't kill you." She felt a small twinge of guilt as she gave a cold smile.

"Like I did your whore." She almost regretted saying something so painful and mean, but she had to test his emotional strengths and weaknesses. She had to figure out if there was anything that could make him blow his top like when she had boasted of Itachi's strength over his. But with Sasuke present, she couldn't resort to that.

Tomokazu gave a dark laugh. "Now, now, little Sakura. That was rather low of you. I didn't think you had it in you to be so cruel."

Sasuke looked at Sakura from the corner of his eye. Her own eyes were harder, cooler now. More calculating. This was the ANBU he had heard so much about. For a second he wondered if she'd merely been playing with him before. Perhaps he would now see what Sakura was really like.

Suddenly Tomokazu appeared behind her. "But such emotional attachments are idiotic, aren't they Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke's eyes widened as he felt the chakra presence behind him. So fast…he hadn't even sensed him. He was faster than Orochimaru. Tomokazu lunged forward, slamming a kunai into Sakura's back. She disappeared in a puff of smoke, before reappearing in the air above them.

_I have to fight him. I have to at least _stall_ him until the others can get here. Oh please Sasuke, tell me you didn't come alone?_

She grabbed the scroll from behind her, unraveling it in one swift movement, biting her lip and smearing the blood across it. _Thanks for this one, Tenten._ She murmured silently, before activating it.

Twin smoke dragons flew from the scroll, flying towards Tomokazu. He jumped into the air, dodging them. The two dragons circled back around, crossing in front of him. Then the smoke around them dissipated, revealing long chains.

Sakura grabbed the ends of them that she held and pulled roughly. The chains whipped around, links snapping tightly in place as she grabbed onto Tomokazu, tying him up in the air.

Sakura flipped backwards, grabbing her kunai and throwing it with as much force as possible and as quickly as possible towards the incarcerated Tomokazu. It struck, grazing one of the chain links slightly and making a soft twang as it cut through Tomokazu's chest.

Sakura landed on the ground, giving a deep breath as Tomokazu's body fell to the ground. She watched with building dread as the clone of Tomokazu disappeared. She quickly began rapid hand signs, as he appeared a few feet away, watching her lazily.

"What an adorable little move, Sakura."

Sakura breathed in deeply as she finished her hand signs. She didn't know how well this one was going to work out, but she didn't believe she had much of a choice without it. "Daikamaitachi no Jutsu!" She felt the chakra building the wind power around her. Once Temari's signature move, Sakura had learned it from her and modified it a bit to serve her own style.

She jumped into the air before whipping her leg around in a kick. The air force and chakra sent the whirlwind level kick straight at Tomokazu. He jumped up into the air at the last moment, and the ground he had been sitting in shattered into a million pieces, as the large aftershocks of wind blew across the clearing.

Sasuke jumped back from the flying debris, blinking as his eyes stung from the dust. The wind force even from so far away was impressive. He hadn't believed Sakura had known that move. He had known it belonged to Temari of the Sand.

_Puppet jutsus, wind jutsus…how did you learn so many? Surely you had to have teachers. You don't have the Sharingan like Kakashi-sensei after all._

Tomokazu did his own hand signs as he landed on a tree limb just out of harms way. He gave a small smirk as he did so. Then a large fireball was the only thing in Sakura's line of sight.

She gave a small gasp as she jumped out of the way. She felt the heat roll off of her in waves as it passed by. She blinked, feeling the sweat drip down her forehead. She saw Sasuke watching all of this cautiously. He seemed…afraid. Sakura swallowed. It Sasuke was afraid, she was petrified. But she had to do this. She had to protect Sasuke. She had to protect her precious people.

And that meant…the Sharingan.

It this didn't work, she'd waste most of her chakra she'd be completely defenseless. But she had to track his movements, and she had to use the Sharingan with her other technique. If not, it would all be over.

She didn't even have to use blood to quicken the process anymore as she finished the rapid hand signs. She had practiced the jutsu for so long now, it was second nature to her. She could send the chakra through her eyes quickly now. She opened them, and crimson eyes met deadly silver.

Tomokazu stiffened slightly, eyes widening for a fraction of a second. "How…?"

Sasuke stared at her, eyes wide in surprise. Sakura…Sharingan…surely that wasn't possible? How could Sakura possess the Sharingan? It was the kekkei genkai of the Uchiha Clan!

Then Sakura rushed forward, beginning another set of hand signs. Two clones appeared on either side of her, as each of them collected chakra into their hands, which burned an icy blue as it crackled.

It sang with the eerie melody that reminded Sasuke of the chirping of birds. His crimson eyes widened even more as he watched her. _How…? Sharingan and Chidori? This isn't possible. My god…Sakura…_ He watched her move with a speed that matched—no _surpassed_ his own, and it scared him slightly. She was so strong…

_She could have _killed_ me!_

_This guy…he's insanely strong. He's dodging Sakura's attacks like they're nothing. Most people would be gasping for breath and covered with bruises, if they weren't already dead. Who is this guy?_

Sakura ran low to the ground as she Chidori burned fiery hot in her hand. She narrowed in on Tomokazu, who stood there watching. Of course, he couldn't get away with the speed she was traveling at.

_I won't let you hurt them. I may be afraid of you, but I will never, ever, run away._

Sakura reached her hand back as she appeared right in front of him.

_Because I am strong. I will never be weak again._

The Chidori sang in her ears as she let out a yell and slammed her fists forward. She saw Tomokazu's eyes widen slightly, before narrowing in amusement. It happened so quickly. The smirk. The cold glint in his eyes. She sharp pain in her arm as she was wrenched around.

And Suddenly Sakura was out of breath, caught against the hard body of Tomokazu, her back slamming into his chest. She let out a shaky breath as she blinked and let the Sharingan go, feeling fright and panic begin to rush forward. _He didn't even try to dodge it. He just grabbed it like it was nothing. Even Itachi grimaced slightly when he grabbed Sasuke's Chidori. And mine…mine had more chakra than Sasuke's. Surely…surely he's not human._

"Sakura!" Sasuke landed on the ground in front of them, eyes narrowed and spinning with the Sharingan. He looked into Sakura's jade eyes and saw a strange fright permeating there. As if she were willing him to run away.

Tomokazu gave a small chuckle as he bent his mouth down to Sakura's ear. "The Sharingan…how amusing little Sakura. What an interesting person you are. A non Uchiha wielding their kekkei genkai. I know of only one other thing that can do that, don't you?"

Sakura stiffened as she breathed in shakily. _No, he can't know. He can't. Oh god no…_

"A scroll that taught a special jutsu…a jutsu that is forbidden and said to be a myth, am I correct? I had been hoping oh so ardently that the scroll Orochimaru had obtained so blindly was such a scroll." Tomokazu gave a low laugh in her ear.

"I'd had my doubts, but you've proved to me that my searching wasn't in vain, was it Sakura? Oh what a interesting kunoichi you are, blossom."

Sakura clenched her hands, but she could do nothing. She looked at Sasuke, "Sasuke, get away. Go get help. Anything. _Get out of here_ _now_." She ended with a voice full of panic and fear.

Sasuke shook his head gruffly. "I won't leave you Sakura." _I have to prove to you that I love you, isn't that what you want? I have to prove to _myself_ that I am strong enough to face Itachi. If I can face this man…then surely I can kill my brother. _

"Where is the scroll?"

Sakura breathed in deeply, her chest heaving as she battled within herself as to whether or not to say anything. But surely…surely she could save Sasuke if she told him the truth. Surely Sasuke could get away and wouldn't be in Tomokazu's line of attack if Sakura just told him what he wanted to know…

"I destroyed it."

"_What?"_

And suddenly pain erupted everywhere. Sakura screamed as it hit, feeling it consume her body. It moved up, burning everything with white-hot pain. Surely so much pain could not be made by anything human? She felt as if her soul were being ripped out.

Sasuke stared in horror and fright as Sakura screamed. He wanted to help her, but his legs wouldn't move. He was frozen in shock and fright. He could just sit and watch and listen to her unearthly screams.

Until it stopped.

He saw Sakura fall against Tomokazu like a dead weight, and for a moment, her chest did not rise. But then his Sharingan saw the small, shallow breaths she took. The silence was more frightening then the screams.

Tomokazu watched Sasuke with a small, dark smile. "Goodbye little Uchiha. Tell Itachi that if he wants his woman back, he can come to me. And don't worry, he'll find the way."

And then he disappeared.

With Sakura.

"Sakura!" Sasuke broke out of his frozen state, jumping forward as Tomokazu disappeared with a laugh. He searched desperately for any signs of chakra, but could find none. It was as if they had disappeared off the face of the earth.

"Sakura!"

His desperation and anger was short lived, as he felt an enormous burst of chakra coming closer, zeroing in on the clearing.

_Four_ enormous chakra levels.

And one of them he had memorized since the day of his parents murder.

"Kitten! Kitten!"

"Sakura-chan, where are you yeah!?"

**(A/N: Oi. Alright, I'm sorry! I humbly beg your forgiveness for the lateness of this chapter! (grovels on ground) It's actually not my fault. I had already written it halfway and had planned on finishing the rest of it on Saturday, but, fate is cruel it seems. A water pipe in my hours broke—over my room. By the time we shut the water off, it was in three inches of water. After calling the wonderful electition and all that, I was told I wasn't allowed in my room for at least three days. Today was my first day back, so I finished the end because I knew how much you were waiting for this chapter. **

**Really, I'm not so evil that I'd leave you for so long on such an evil cliffhanger. I'm not THAT mean. But, that's my story/excuse. So, I hope you all liked this chapter, and I can't wait till the next one.**

**Itachi and Sasuke confrontation? Naruto's group and Neji's group arriving as well? Oh, and don't forget Sakura and Tomokazu!**

**Until the next installment (which I hope to make soon because you poor people had to wait so long), Lady Hanaka says sayonara!  
Question: If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?)**


	17. Chapter 16: The Enemy of My Enemy

**Disclaimer: **Nope. Don't own him. But I do own our wonderful, loveable Tomokazu-kun! ()Warning: Dark—_darker_? Tomokazu in this chapter.

Chapter 16

The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

"Sakura!"

Shikamaru, Ino, Naruto, and Temari all looked up at the sound. It was faint, as if from far away. But it was clear and anguish-filled, floating through the air as if on wings. They recognized it immediately.

"Sasuke…" Naruto growled from beside Shikamaru, before he ran forward.

"Naruto!" Temari yelled out, but he was gone. She gave a small growl of frustration as she followed. "You idiot! Get back here!"

"_Temari_…" Shikamaru groaned as Ino looked to Shikamaru for guidance. Shikamaru just sighed as he and Ino disappeared after their comrades.

_Don't rush into this. Don't let your anger get the better of you, Naruto. This is no time to give into our emotions._

* * *

"Sakura!"

Neji's eyes narrowed as he immediately recognized the voice. _Sasuke Uchiha…I've found you at last. But why are you screaming Sakura's name? What the hell is this about?_ For a moment a bit of hope welled in his chest. If Sasuke was screaming Sakura's name, was she there? Had they found her?

"That's Sasuke!" Kiba growled. "That means that—" He stopped as Akamaru let out a small whimper, his tail tucked between his legs. "What is it boy?"

Akamaru whined.

Kiba blinked. "Akamaru says that there are four Akatsuki in a clearing with Sasuke. Also, it seems Naruto and the others are just arriving. And…"

"…A-and what?" Hinata whispered.

"He smells Sakura and something really, really strong and…worse than

Akatsuki."

There was a long moment of silence as they all stared at Kiba and Akamaru, before Neji gave a small grunt.

"Let's go. We have to get to Sakura." _She's more important than anything else at the moment. I'll drag her back to Konoha if I have to shut of her chakra flow and knock her unconscious._

"Our mission is to bring Sasuke Uchiha back to Konoha, Neji." Shino answered back vaguely.

Neji stiffened, turning to glare at him. "We go and rescue Sakura. Now." _She matters more than the idiot. Let him get killed by his brother. It'll be one less pain in my side._

"N-Neji…" Hinata stammered. "Surely w-we have to o-obey orders. And m-maybe we can get help f-from the others."

"Akamaru can't smell Sakura anymore. She's completely out of range now. Like…she just disappeared or something." Kiba muttered.

Neji's hands clenched.

"Let's _go get Uchiha_."

* * *

Itachi knew something was wrong immediately as he landed on the ground in the clearing, Sasori, Deidara, and Kisame behind him.

"Kitten! Kitten!" Kisame called out playfully.

"Sakura-chan, where are you yeah?" Deidara began as well.

"Awe come on kitten, don't…" Kisame stopped as he got a good look at the clearing, as well as the garden in front of them. Of course, it was hard to recognize it as the garden at all, since it was merely a couple of large craters.

"Sakura-chan!?" Deidara's voice was more panicked now. He searched around for her chakra signature and couldn't feel it. _Oh my god, where are you Sakura? Did you run away? Did the Konoha ANBU come? Oh god what happened? _

Suddenly he turned to the edge of the clearing and saw him. Sasuke Uchiha. "Look over there, yeah." _You…_

Kisame's eyes narrowed. "It's that little punk brother of yours, Itachi."

"There is Haruno-san's puppet." Sasori pointed out emotionlessly, motioning with his eyes to the doll at Sasuke's feet.

"That _bastard_—" Kisame began, hand on his Samehada.

Sasori grabbed him. "It wasn't him, Kisame."

Suddenly Sasuke spotted them. Or rather, he spotted Itachi. Itachi watched with cool aloofness as he saw Sasuke's eyes meet his own, before glowing crimson with hatred and vengeance.

_You still haven't changed you little fool. Don't make me kill you now. I have more important things to deal with._ But he actually wished Sasuke would attack. Perhaps, for a moment, it would take his mind off of Sakura. And the fact that she was gone.

He immediately knew who must have done it. And he was worried for Sakura. For some odd reason, Itachi was afraid for her. She was alone with Tomokazu and there was nothing he could do to help her at the moment. It also scared him that he _wanted_ to go and help her.

Sasuke let out a yell as he rushed forward.

The four Akatsuki remained standing where they were, not even paying attention to the younger Uchiha. In fact, Kisame had the nerve to turn to the others and begin talking again, "Where the hell is kitten?"

Sasuke was getting closer.

"Perhaps she was kidnapped." Sasori filled in softly, his perceptive gaze going from Itachi to Sasuke. He wondered why Sasuke was there. And he wondered what kind of a confrontation had taken place. Surely it must have been…interesting. He also wondered what Itachi was going to do now.

Well done, Haruno-san. How many others can say they've lassoed the two most powerful Uchiha prodigies?

"ITACHI!"

Itachi watched Sasuke with even more annoyance as he lunged. "Go away fool." _You aren't even strong enough to defeat Sakura. Who is the weakling of team seven now?_ For a second it made Itachi smirk as he thought of the weakling little girl who had risen in ranks through sheer will and had become strong. He stopped himself, blinking. Strong? Sakura? Surely not.

Itachi grabbed a kunai, twirling it between his fingers as his brother came closer. The others moved away, seeing that Itachi wanted to fight him alone. Kisame grunted, his grin feral. Deidara didn't pay them any attention as he scanned the area for Sakura's chakra signature.

Sasori seemed genuinely disgruntled. He knew that Tomokazu had taken Sakura, and he felt somewhat obligated to go and search for her. That was strange in itself, since he never had felt obligated to do anything for anyone before. Ever.

It seems that none of us were left unchanged, Haruno-san.

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he dodged his brother's lunge. Sasuke flipped in the air, pushing off the ground with his feet as he used the momentum to travel faster towards Itachi.

Itachi threw the kunai, and it landed in Sasuke's shoulder, sticking. Sasuke let out a small growl as he felt the kunai dig into the skin. Warm liquid rushed down his arm, but he paid it no attention.

You…Sakura's gone and It has to be your fault…it has to be…

I'll kill you and save her. I'll find her and everything will be perfect again…

…without YOU.

Suddenly Itachi was right in front of him, grabbing Sasuke so he couldn't move. He ground the kunai deeper into Sasuke's shoulder, as Sasuke let out a pained growl.

"You're so foolish, Sasuke." Itachi murmured, his other hand tightening around Sasuke's throat.

You are being a nuisance once more, Sasuke. Don't get in my way. I have to go and find Sakura. I don't need you hindering me.

For some reason, the thought of Sakura being in Tomokazu's hands made Itachi want to break something. Instead, he began squeezing Sasuke's throat. Sasuke let out a choked gasp as his hands clawed at Itachi's arm.

"Kill him already, Itachi." Kisame grumbled. "We don't have time for this."

Itachi's eyes widened slightly as, instead of closing further around his brother's pathetic neck, his fingers seemed to pry themselves off. Sasuke fell to the ground, as he rubbed his neck, glaring at his brother with all the hatred in the world.

But he didn't move either.

"I see your Nara friend has come to help you, little brother." Itachi called out, as he felt the four presences appear behind him.

"No one's going to beat the shit out of Sasuke except _me_." Came the angered, loud voice of the Kyuubi container. Itachi didn't even have to turn around to picture him, hands clenched as he glared at Itachi's back. Itachi could see Sasuke trying to fight off the shadow possession jutsu as well, but he couldn't break free. "Let me go! Let me kill him!"

_Pathetic little brother._

Deidara and Kisame made to move forward, but Sasori stopped them. "Hold on." He murmured, seeing the four shinobi glare at them from across the clearing. The Kyuubi, the Nara tactician, and two blonde kunoichi, one from Konoha, one from Sand.

_What a wonderful reunion._ Sasori mused._ And the guest of honor isn't even here._

Shikamaru blinked, ignoring the chakra drain that made his muscles ache. Holding two strong shinobi was troublesome. Holding two Uchiha _prodigies_ was near _impossible_.

Naruto's hands were clenched and he was glaring with such intensity that it scared Ino. She had quickly surveyed the clearing, not seeing Sakura anywhere. Her heart sank as she turned from the Akatsuki to Sasuke, to Naruto.

Temari's hand was on her fan. She glared at Sasori. He'd been the one to kill her brother, before Chiyo had brought him back. She watched them all, before breaking the deadly silence. "Where is Sakura Haruno?"

"Che." Kisame snorted. "We wanted to ask that idiot brat the same question, but he doesn't seem to be in a talking mood." Kisame motioned to Sasuke, who was still struggling with the jutsu.

Itachi was standing calmly, as if he weren't surprised or frightened at all by being held motionless.

Ino's brow furrowed. "You mean…?" _They don't know? Then did they just arrive to? What the hell is going on!? _

And that was when Neji and his group arrived.

"Dammit! What is with you Konoha punks?" Kisame roared, his hand on Samehada. Sasori shook his head as Kisame advanced once again.

He turned to the Konoha shinobi. "If you release Itachi, we will not attack."

Shikamaru exchanged a glance with Temari and Naruto, who nodded solemnly. Naruto's hands were clenched tightly, and his face was serious and dark. Itachi flexed his hand as he felt control rush back into his body. He grabbed his kunai from Sasuke's shoulder, wrenching it out. Sasuke let out a growl.

"Don't get in my way again, little brother." He then turned to look at the Konoha shinobi coldly.

"What the hell!?" Kiba growled. "What is going on?"

Shikamaru felt as if he were going to faint. "Someone go grab Sasuke and secure him. I can't hold him in my jutsu much longer.

Amazingly enough, it was Naruto who did it. He grabbed him, throwing him back over to where the other's were, his gaze hard. "Get up, teme."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly at the treatment, but he ignored it. After all, no one else knew of he and Sakura's brief talk. He felt his anger course through him as he saw Itachi standing there.

And he could do nothing.

Naruto's grip on him as adamantine.

There was a long moment of silence as they all stared at each other, two opposing sides.

"We have you outnumbered." Neji murmured.

Kisame grinned, "But not outclassed, boy."

"This isn't a time to fight, yeah! We have to go get Sakura-chan back!" Deidara cut in, his voice angry and worried.

That made the Konoha shinobi falter, as they exchanged glances. _Sakura-chan? And he's _worried

Itachi's eyes landed on Sasuke. "I believe my little brother has some explaining to do."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in return. Naruto's grip on his arm tightened, "What happened, Sasuke?"

"Tomokazu took her." Sasuke waited for the Akatsuki's reactions.

"WHAT!?!?!" Kisame roared even louder than before. "And how the hell did YOU get here?"

"Tomokazu told me how to get here." Sasuke muttered through gritted teeth. He already felt bad enough. He didn't need an idiot fish rebuking him.

"You were working with him?" Neji's voice was cold.

"He told me this was where Sakura was."

"And what did he want in return?" Sasori's voice was calm and steady.

There was a long moment of silence.

…

…

…

"A scroll."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. Sasuke spotted it, "But I think you already knew that, did you Itachi?"

"Hn."

Everyone then turned to look at Itachi.

"I'm surprised you let Sakura keep it, Itachi. Was if because even _with_ the Sharingan she wasn't a threat to you?"

…

…

…

"NANI?"

…

…

…

Itachi gave a small smirk as everyone stared at the two Uchiha, dumbfounded. "And even without being a threat to _me_, she's still more powerful than yourself, little brother."

Sasuke growled deep in his throat.

"A scroll that gives the Sharingan?" Shikamaru mused. _If that scroll got into the wrong hands, then we're all doomed. And by the way everyone is talking about this Tomokazu guy, I have a feeling that he's the wrong hands. _

"So you mean forehead was stolen by this Tomokazu?" Ino asked.

Deidara's eyes flashed. _Forehead? Sakura said that only her best friend Ino called her that. This must be her…_Deidara couldn't help but smile. _She isn't as intimidating as Sakura-chan made her out to be, yeah. _

"But if he just wanted the scroll, why didn't he take it and leave Sakura alone?" Choji asked, troubled. He didn't even reach his hand into his bag of chips. The situation seemed too important.

"Sakura destroyed it." Sasuke muttered.

"Oh n-no." Hinata whispered in horror. "But th-that means that this T-Tomokazu would b-be…"

"Quite angry." Sasori supplied. _I know Sakura wouldn't destroy the scroll without memorizing it, and I have a feeling Tomokazu knows this as well. No doubt he stole Sakura to get the information out of her. _

Sasori rubbed the still slightly sore spot on his chest. If that was just from a touch, no doubt Tomokazu's torturing strategies were brutal and excruciating.

Tenten turned to see Lee and Neji's eyes fill with worry, and she felt a bit jealous. Both of her teammates were too obsessed with Sakura for their own good—or for Sakura's. But she was more worried for her old friend Sakura. This guy sounded like trouble.

"We have to go and get her back!" Kiba yelled out. "Akamaru can track this bastard."

Shikamaru nodded slowly. However, he had a feeling that there were a few things the Akatsuki hadn't told them. He also didn't like the prospect of having to fight them off. They didn't seem too hostile at the moment, but that could change quickly.

Deidara was the only one who spoke.

"I have something with Sakura-chan's scent that we can use, yeah."

The silence was almost holy, as all of them turned to look at Deidara as if he were insane.

"_We_?" Kisame choked out. "What makes you think we need the idiot kids' help?"

"Their dog can track Sakura-chan's scent better than we can." Sasori concluded slowly, nodding. "And their Byakugan wielders have a better Doujutsu for tracking as well."

"Wait, you agree with Deidara?" Kisame blinked. "But…but…"

Shikamaru sighed. "I may not like it, but your plan seems good to me."

"WHAT?" All of the Konoha shinobi exclaimed.

"You can't be serious, Shikamaru! These guys kidnapped Sakura!" Lee yelled out. "Surely we cannot trust them."

"They have a better idea of this Tomokazu guy's power. We'll need their skills and strength." Temari murmured as she turned to Shikamaru with a smile. "Way to go, hun."

"We have to do anything to get Sakura-chan back." Naruto spoke seriously, nodding. His grip on Sasuke tightened.

"No way." Sasuke hissed. "I will _never_ work with my brother. Let me go! I have to kill that bastard!"

"This isn't about you and your stupid revenge, Sasuke Uchiha!" Ino slapped him across the face, glaring with such intensity it was frightening. "We are here to save Sakura! And we are going to save her with _their_ help, whether you like it or not so I don't give a damn about you and your stupid promise to your family! That was back then, this is _now_. Get OVER it!"

Deidara blinked with a small smile. "Sakura-chan said you could be scary sometimes, yeah. I didn't believe her until just now."

Ino turned to look at Deidara, as did the rest of them. "Huh?"

Deidara smiled. "She talks about you a lot."

There was a long moment of silence as all the Konoha shinobi exchanged glances. Finally, Naruto spoke.

"We work together."

* * *

Naruto walked into the house with Kiba, Shino, and the man named Deidara. Deidara slid open the door to a room, and Naruto immediately knew it was Sakura's.

It was neat and tidy, and it smelled like flowers. It reminded Naruto of her apartment in Konoha. Simple, and slightly sad and lonely. Akamaru jumped up on the bed, curling up and burying his nose in the pillow, as if he somehow felt closer to Sakura there.

Naruto just looked around the room. He opened up the chest at the foot of her bed. Kiba knelt down beside her as they looked inside. Shino watched Deidara, who was leaning in the doorway.

Naruto's hand trailed over the fabric of a dark shirt. He lifted it up and his eyes widened.

Sasuke's old shirt.

He quickly folded it and placed it back at the bottom. _Even when you hated her, Sasuke, she still loved you..._He noticed her kunai pouch, and saw part of a chain on the end of it. He pulled the remaining part of the frog key chain he held in his pocket, and saw that it fit perfectly.

He gave a small smile, before he noticed a scroll lying beside it. But what was even stranger was the writing over the top.

"Dear Naruto?" Kiba asked confusedly as he and Shino turned to look at it over his shoulder.

Deidara frowned. "Dear Naruto, yeah? Is that a letter or something?" He watched as the three Konoha shinobi exchanged looks.

Naruto lifted the flap with shaking fingers, before he began reading the first few lines silently.

_Dear Naruto, _

How long has it been since I've last written? Of course, you haven't gotten any of the letters, so I suppose it doesn't matter. How are you feeling? I'm doing all right, I suppose…

* * *

The others looked up from their uncomfortable staring contest as Deidara, Shino, Kiba, and Naruto came out of the house.

Sasuke managed to pry his glare away from where Itachi was watching him amusedly as he heard a soft sniffle. He turned to see Naruto, with red rimmed eyes. He was hurriedly wiping the tears from his eyes.

"W-what's wrong, Naruto-k-kun?" Hinata asked worriedly.

Naruto gave a small, weak smile. He looked from Sasori, to Kisame, and his gaze rested on Itachi the longest. He seemed to be trying to sum something up, or read their thoughts.

"She wrote me a letter."

* * *

Drip.

Sakura bit back a small groan as she shifted, feeling a heavy weight across her chest. Her arms and hands were in an uncomfortable position, but she was too groggy to notice much.

Drip.

It was completely dark. She couldn't see a thing. The air was moist and damp, filling her lungs with thick, stagnant air. It smelled worse than simple mildew, as if something dead had been left in the room to rot. Sakura had the strange urge to begin cleaning. She then frowned. How could she be thinking of something like that in this type of situation?

Drip.

_What situation? I don't even know where I am. Situation? There's a situation? _

She blinked a few times, feeling extremely lightheaded. _The pain seems to have disoriented me slightly. It's hard to think straight._ Her entire body felt like a hammer had pounded it. She reached a hand up to brush the locks of hair out of her face, but encountered some difficulty when her arm wouldn't move. She let her eyes adjust to whatever semblance of light the room held and could just see the outline of a rope around her arms, tying her to a chair. Both of her legs were tied to the two front chair legs. Her hands were tied behind her back in a way that she couldn't bring them together to make hand signs. Not like that would do anything. She felt as if all her chakra had been burned away. Besides this, there were chakra seals on her arms and legs.

Drip.

The sound of the water was getting slightly annoying. If whoever had put her here had planned on breaking her with Chinese water torture, he was doing a bang-up job. Her brow furrowed for a moment.

Where was she exactly? And who had taken her?

Drip.

And then her jade eyes widened as she let out a small choked scream, and it all came back to her.

Tomokazu.

She was alone. With _him_.

No Itachi.

No Akatsuki.

No Sasuke.

No _Orochimaru_.

Just him.

_I seem to be getting kidnapped by this bastard quite a lot lately, _a small part of her thought wryly. But her fake bravado didn't last long. She was completely petrified. She and Sasuke had finally gotten things worked out and now this? It seemed as if some higher power just didn't want her to be happy.

_Is Sasuke all right? After I blacked out, Tomokazu could have killed him! _Sakura panicked. She didn't seem to remember at all that he was still a pretty strong shinobi. For some reason, after she had beaten him, all she thought of him as was someone to protect. Was that how Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke had always felt about her?

_Even now, I'm weak. I couldn't protect Sasuke…I couldn't even protect myself. What a great, strong shinobi _I_ am._ Sakura mocked herself angrily. She blinked as she heard soft footsteps. She tensed in her chair as they came closer.

_Tomokazu! _

I have to find an escape. Somehow I have to escape!

She heard a soft chuckle as the door creaked open. The sound hurt her ears, making her wince slightly. It was as if the door hadn't been opened in years. "Afraid are you?"

Sakura kept her eyes on his chin. She wouldn't look into Tomokazu's eyes. She didn't want him to see the fear in her own. She clenched her fists behind her back. They instinctively felt for a weapon and found none. Not that a weapon would have done anything.

"What would make you think I was scared, Tomokazu?" Sakura tried to sound cold, but she just sounded anxious.

Tomokazu let out another amused laugh, smirking. "I can smell your fear."

_Keep talking. Keep talking and try and forget about how powerful he is. Everyone has a weakness. Find his._ Sakura turned her head slightly, and a few hairs fell across her face. Her nose began to itch. She swore she'd die before she sneezed, however.

Suddenly a hand brushed the hairs away, tracing the outline of her jaw. Tomokazu's hand cupped her cheek as he watched her intently. Sakura was forced to look him in the eye.

Silver met jade once again. And just like before, chaos and emotion swirled between them. Sakura bit her lip, trying to keep from shaking. Those eyes…so cold…

"You can't hope to lie to me, Sakura. You're too much like _her_. And I spent my entire childhood reading her thoughts and emotions."

Sakura's brows furrowed slightly. "Her?"

Tomokazu just continued to watch her intently, as if in another world as he began speaking, on a completely different topic. "Have you ever wondered what the jutsu I use on you is?"

Sakura had been trying to _forget_ about that jutsu. As well as the fact that just his touch could bring upon the pain. There was no way she could build up any defenses to it. There was no way to counter it.

And that frightened her.

"N-no."

He wouldn't stop moving his thumb softly across his cheek, his eyes never leaving hers. It unnerved her, those predatory wolf-like eyes…

"It's a bit different than Itachi's but so much more effective, I think. The Mangekou merely brings upon mental images, and the pain that it inflicts is mental as well, whether the mind and body perceive it as such or not."

He was merely stating facts that Sakura already knew. She tried to ignore the fact that his other hand was playing with her hair.

"But my jutsu…well, it causes the body to…how shall I say it? Not rupture, certainly. Merely…fill with pain. It's a bit like the gentle first technique of the Hyuga Clan in a way. They shoot chakra through the chakra routes and cause damage through the internal organs but mine…ah, it does so much more."

"It causes more than just physical pain, as you've experienced." He chuckled once again, and the voice made Sakura go cold. He let go of her and walked behind her chair. He leaned against the chair, placing his head near her's.

"But you've only felt the first few levels of it. It can be so much more painful, Sakura. And the wonderful thing about it is, there is no limit. As long as I hate, I will be powerful."

"As long as you hate?" Sakura whispered, feeling his breath stirring the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Yes. Hate. The jutsu of my Clan, our kekkei genkai, is fueled by hatred."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly.

"The more hate I feel for a person, the more painful the jutsu becomes." His hand trailed up and down her arm, making goose bumps. "And do you know, dear Sakura?"

…

…

…

"I _hate_ you."

…

…

…

Sakura began shaking uncontrollably, and she knew he could tell. His hands continued moving up and down her arms in a soothing manner as he continued talking calmly.

"Do you know why I hate you?"

Sakura didn't care. She wanted to get away. She wanted to run as far away as possible. She wanted to be back in Itachi's arms…she wanted to feel safe again.

"Because you remind me of her."

_Her again. Who is she? _

It was if he had read her mind, for he began again. "You look just like her, you know, except for the hair. Her's was brown. But the eyes, you almost had me fooled the first time I saw you. I thought it was her ghost come back to haunt me. She loved the color pink after all. It could have been a sick joke."

He gave a small sigh, as if remembering something with a sick fondness. "But she's dead." He buried his face in the crook of Sakura's neck. Sakura jolted at the contact, and she tried to move away.

"I loved her. She was the only one who cared about me…she was so beautiful…"

_He's insane. _Sakura thought wildly. _Don't touch me! Oh god, Itachi!_

"We did everything together. She even wanted to become a healer like you are. But someone with our kekkei genkai…they can't really heal now can they? Our touch brings pain and death, how can we heal with the same chakra?"

"I do it all the time." Sakura bit out. "It's possible." _Just ramble. Just keep your mind off of him. Stall him. Maybe Itachi and the others can come and rescue you. Give them time._ It was a pitiful attempt at reassuring herself, but it was also the only thing she could think of. She had to cling to some hope.

Tomokazu laughed against her neck, his hot breath sinking into her skin. It felt wrong and sickening, but she couldn't move. She was his prisoner.

"I hate you for looking just like her…" And he began kissing his way up her neck. Sakura continued shaking, trying to jerk away.

"And I love you for the very same reason." He whispered hotly in her ear.

Sakura froze, breathing raggedly. _Love? _This man was mad.

"I thought in the beginning I could kill Itachi and keep you here with me. You would be just like her, without the threat to my power like she was. She had my kekkei genkai and that was a threat. But you didn't."

Sakura's eyes widened completely, as the realization dawned. _Oh god… _

"But now…you can." He laughed softly in her ear. "And now you are a threat to me as well…"

"What makes you think I could learn your jutsu?" Sakura asked faintly, trying to see if he had figured out the truth or was just clutching at assumptions and guesses.

"It's rather disappointing…" Tomokazu continued. "You taste sweet. I wonder…if perhaps I could keep you from learning it and keep you here with me? It would be worth it, wouldn't it?"

"Get away from me." Sakura hissed.

He laughed darkly again. "You say you are a healer. Don't you want to heal me? Isn't it your duty as a healer to try?" He kissed her jaw. "I wouldn't mind if you tried to heal me. It would be interesting to watch."

"Nothing can heal your twisted mind." Sakura managed to choke out.

"Why don't you try? It would be fun." Tomokazu's voice turned childlike. "Don't you want to try? If you can save Itachi Uchiha from the darkness, surely you can save me."

Sakura was clutching at straws, trying to keep him talking. "Why was her having your kekkei genkai a threat to you?"

He shifted, whispering in her ear. "Because to be the strongest, to be the most powerful, I must eliminate all those who stand in my way. She was just another barrier keeping me from my goal. The fact that she had the kekkei genkai that I too possessed lowered the significance of my own…"

He laughed softly in her ear. "That is how all geniuses think, dear Sakura. Why do you believe Itachi destroyed his entire Clan? He did it to gain more power. To become the one and only user of his Clan's kekkei genkai so that only he would be respected and known for it."

Sakura answered back frostily, "You're wrong. Itachi didn't do it for that."

"How sweet. Defending him, are you?"

"If he had killed them all to be the only user of the Sharingan, than why didn't he kill Sasuke?"

Sakura waited for Tomokazu's answer. There was a long moment of silence, save for their breathing and the constant dripping of the water.

"It was because Itachi couldn't bare to kill his little brother. He was weak."

"Itachi is not weak." Sakura bit back. "He is one of the strongest shinobi in the world."

"But he spared his brother's life. He couldn't bring himself to kill that weakling, pathetic little boy."

Sakura's hands clenched. "Perhaps it just shows that Itachi still has a conscience."

"That's an admirable thing to have…if you wish to remain a weakling your entire life." Tomokazu answered back blandly. "You have to sever emotional ties, dear Sakura. You cannot gain true power until you love only yourself and no other."

**_"I care only for myself, I live only for myself, and I love only myself. In this I am strong." _**Sakura remembered Gaara's old words, which drifted back into her mind from so long ago. When he had spoken in that demonic voice, the voice of one who had slaughtered millions without remorse.

Tomokazu's voice.

"I realized this early in my life. And so I murdered my entire clan. They had to be eliminated if I was to become the strongest. Even _her_."

Sakura flinched as Tomokazu's fingers played with her hair, his gaze burning into her skin. She had to get away. But she knew it was hopeless. And she knew that she was completely defenseless. Even if she freed herself, she would never be able to escape. He was too strong…

And if she tried…he'd use his kekkei genkai on her.

"True strength comes from protecting and risking your life for someone who is precious to you." Sakura answered back. "And that is the truth. Naruto gained strength that way. He become stronger than you could imagine. _He will become Hokage one day because of it_."

"If he is so powerful and strong, dear Sakura, then why isn't he here fighting me to get you back?"

There was a long moment if pained silence.

"Or perhaps you just aren't as precious to him as you once believed."

Sakura bit her lip. She knew Naruto was probably angry with her for her abrupt departure. How she had chosen the Akatsuki over he and the rest of her friends from Konoha. But…she'd always known Naruto was forgiving. He'd spent his entire life telling her that he could redeem Sasuke. That he would forgive him everything and they would be friends again.

Did he feel the same about her?

Did he believe that he could come and save her?

…or would he forget?

Tomokazu placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura, teach me the jutsu."

Sakura's hands clenched. "No." She almost hissed between clenched teeth as she felt anger rush forward. That bastard. He was trying to make her doubt her friends. He was trying to make her hopeless. But she would never give up hope.

She felt Tomokazu's grip on her shoulder tighten. "I will only ask nicely one more time, Sakura. Teach me the jutsu or I will show you the full extent of my own."

Sakura felt the panic course through her body, but she ignored it. She had to be strong and protect her own precious people. She had to keep Tomokazu from gaining any information from her. He could use it to hurt them…

She breathed in a deep, ragged breath. "Go to hell."

And suddenly the pain was rushing through her again, flooding her body. She let out a chocked cry as she tried to keep from screaming. She gasped for breath but none entered her lungs. She felt as if she were suffocating. Her vision turned crimson, before flashing back to the dismal black and gray of the room.

And then the pain was gone again, leaving her breathless and whimpering.

She coughed up a small amount of blood, not liking the metallic tang it left in her mouth. She slumped forward against the taught rope, heaving. Pinpricks of pain shot up her arms and legs, an aftermath to the excruciating pain from before.

He wiped the blood off of her lip with his finger, before tasting it. Sakura watched him through pained, delirious eyes. Her vision was going slightly blurry, but she held off the urge to fall asleep.

She would be strong.

"Teach me the jutsu."

"No."

Another dose of Tomokazu's kekkei genkai. Sakura felt tears well up in her eyes as she coughed. She wanted to sleep. Yes, sleep would be nice…but she couldn't sleep. For some reason, her mind wouldn't let her close her eyes.

_Be strong Sakura! _

She heard a soft sigh. "I don't want to have to ruin that pretty body of yours, blossom." His hand was moving across her arm once again, "Don't make me use more force. I told you before, my jutsu can also make you feel the pain in your mind as well, just like the Mangekou. I would hate to show that to you."

"I…" Sakura breathed in a ragged breath as she swallowed to wet her dry throat. "I won't…teach you…the damn jutsu…'

His grip on her arm tightened. "Very well."

And the pain began once more.

(A/N: So? Sorry about the lateness. I had a research project in three of my classes. Grrrr. Hope you liked it. Yay, Naruto got Sakura's letter! Oi, Sasuke and Itachi are definitely NOT going to get along very well. Tomokazu is just a loveable little guy, isn't he? I bet he just needs a hug! (-cough-)

The next chapter will hopefully be out soon, since I am on my spring break. That means FREE TIME! Woohoo!

Ahem. Alright, well, until next time…

Buh-bye!

Question: If you throw a cat out a car window, does it become kitty litter?)


	18. Chapter 17: Resemblance

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still don't own them...sigh...just the crazed maniac that we've all come to love.

**(A/N: Sorry about the lateness. I couldn't update. Oi. I humbly ask for you forgiveness!)**

**Chapter 17**

**Resemblance**

It was probably the quietest day of their collective lives.

No one spoke. They merely followed Shino and Kiba's directions as their animals led them in the _presumed correct_ direction.

The Akatsuki kept their distance, as if they didn't like the idea of being stuck with the Konoha shinobi any better than the Leaf ANBU did them.

Shikamaru and the others kept looking over their shoulders at their 'allies' as if just waiting for a kunai to find it's way into their backs. They didn't trust them. The distrust was mutual, however.

They'd finally gotten Sasuke quiet, although it had taken a while. He had, after all, continued to argue with them about letting him go to kill his brother, who had, of course, stared at him with that annoying smirk just waiting for him to attack. After a threat from Ino to take over his body permanently, a few good punches from Naruto, and a few juken hits later from an unknown source (ahem), Sasuke was in no position to fight.

Sasuke felt betrayed. By all of them.

And yet he could do nothing.

They were sitting in a clearing, as the Konoha shinobi rested. The Akatsuki merely stood, waiting for them to finish catching their breath.

Sasuke's eyes rested hatefully upon his brother. He gritted his teeth, but he could do nothing. The moment he lunged, Shikamaru would have him in a shadow possession jutsu.

He'd already tried once before.

It hadn't ended well.

_Do it for Sakura, Sasuke!_ And inner voice called out. _Save Sakura and then kill him. You can avenge your clan and then…then Sakura will come back with you. She will see that she can come back and everything will be perfect again._

_I can't…I have to kill him. I can't fight alongside him…_

_Even to save Sakura?_

_…_

_…_

_…even to save Sakura…_

"Are you leaf brats rested yet? Or should I tuck you in and sing you a lullaby so you can get back to your afternoon nap?" Kisame snapped angrily. The Konoha shinobi bristled, and Akamaru let out a snarl.

Sasori raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he turned to speak with Itachi once more.

Deidara finally spoke, smiling slightly. "Don't mind him, yeah. He just hasn't had his sake for today."

Kisame grunted. "Funny, Deidara. We aren't helping kitten by standing here."

"Kitten?" Kiba whispered to Lee, Choji, and Tenten. "An s-classed criminal calls Sakura 'kitten'?"

"Should that word even be allowed in his vocabulary?" Choji asked. "It just sounds so…weird hearing him say _kitten_."

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY VOCABULARY, HUH?"  
Choji, Kiba, Lee, and Tenten jumped as he stood in front of them, glowering down. Everyone else had their weapons out. Sasori merely sighed as he turned from his conversation with Itachi.

Another long, uncomfortable silence ensued.

Hinata looked to Naruto, who seemed to be in his own little world. He wouldn't let anyone go near him, and he seemed cranky. He snapped when they'd asked what was wrong. He just kept looking at the Akatsuki, and then back at the scroll he had been holding.

He was still holding it, his gaze curious and thoughtful.

No one had asked him what was in the letter Sakura had written him. Mostly because after the first try, all they'd gotten was a glare and a growl. Even when Hinata had asked why he'd been crying, he just clammed up and didn't talk to anyone.

"Alright Shikamaru, I think we can head out again." Temari called out as she stood. "We don't want to try our dear fish friend's patience."

Kisame's eyes narrowed. "If you _weren't_ important to this mission to rescue kitten, you'd be dead right now."

…once again, silence reigned.

* * *

Naruto ran with Ino and Temari, in between the Akatsuki and the rest of the Konoha shinobi. Naruto kept looking back at them, wondering.

He was thinking about Sakura's letter. About what she'd said about the Akatsuki…about _being_ in the Akatsuki. …of her frightening words that had him doubting himself…and her. He didn't know what to think.

**_I think I'd say they're merely…_**

_**Human.**_

_Yes, that's it. Human. They aren't as cold-blooded as everyone thinks. They're actually teaching me some jutsus. It's like team seven all over again, except it's a team of one student and three senseis. A bit different than what we had, ne?_

_Hai. A bit different…_Naruto looked back at them, wondering at how Sakura could think such things. They seemed as cold as since the fist time he'd met Itachi and Kisame. They had tried to murder him! How could Sakura say those things?

**_Deidara's been teaching me some clay techniques. I was just promoted to exploding clay, which made my day of course. You had better watch out if you ever ask me to spar with you again. You'll be in for a rude awakening. I can mold it into a bird, but it doesn't look very good. Art was never my forte. But it can still fly. Not very well, of course. You'd laugh at it. It's rather pathetic. _**

_Nah, you never were that great at art, Sakura. That was Sai's thing. _Naruto looked back at Deidara. He wondered…what kind of a sensei was he? He seemed to be the only one who wasn't completely dark and twisted. Yet…he had almost killed Gaara…

**_Kisame, surprisingly enough, is teaching me swordplay. With Samehada. Can you believe it, Naruto? I can wield _Samehada_! Of course, I've only done so once or twice. Kisame gave me a rather pitiful imitation of it to practice with. _**

The thought of the blue-skinned shark man being nice enough to let ANYONE touch his sword this side of death was preposterous. Naruto could picture Kisame as a drill-sergeant, sitting on top of Sakura's back as he made her do push-ups. He seemed like the type to do that. It almost made Naruto smile to think of it. Almost.

_Sasori made me this adorable little geisha doll. I haven't named her yet, although I suppose I should. If you think of any ideas, let me know. She's small, about a foot or so high, but Sasori taught me a special jutsu that let's me alter her size. This will help if I want to carry her around, I guess._

_**He's taught me how to control her, and I can fight pretty well using her. She has plenty of wonderful little weapons hidden everywhere. Kankuro would be proud. She's even got poisoned senbon as chopsticks for her hair.**_

Naruto remembered Sasori. He remembered how he'd killed Gaara and only Chiyo's sacrifice had brought him back…and he also remembered the little geisha puppet that had been lying in the middle of the clearing, looking so forlorn.

And Naruto had seen Sasori pick it up as they were leaving, his gaze slightly troubled.

_You don't know them like I do._

_I guess I don't…_

_**You don't see it. The way they joke with one another like normal people. The way they try and help me. The way they get worried and fuss when I'm in a bad mood, which usually ends up in me smacking Kisame or Deidara because they won't stop asking 'what's wrong'. Like you, baka. **_

Naruto gave a small smile as he thought of Sakura hitting Kisame and Deidara over the head because they wouldn't stop pestering her. It seemed like something the slightly carefree and cheerful Deidara would get himself into. But Kisame seemed a bit cold for that. But then again, he did call Sakura 'kitten'.

The name fit.

Of course the way she compared Kisame and Deidara to Naruto himself seemed a bit strange. But he could see it slightly; in the way they talked with themselves.

And last but not least, Naruto's gaze drifted to Itachi.

_You can't understand my feelings, can you? You're probably reading this and wondering how in the world I can care for them, or how I can…maybe…somehow…be in love with Itachi Uchiha?_

No, he couldn't understand. He tried. Dear god he tried to see it Sakura's way. He tried to see if there was maybe some goodness hidden in his eyes…but he couldn't find it. And this man had ruined Sasuke's life. He was the reason Sakura and Sasuke had never been together in the first place. How could she love him?

_I don't know if you can forgive me for what I've done, Naruto. I know it would be hard for me to understand if you or Sasuke left me. But…then again, you _did_ leave me. So I suppose there isn't really an excuse, is there? But that's beside the point. I just want you to understand that…he isn't what you think._

_Sakura…he killed Sasuke's family! He kidnapped you! He _raped_ you…how could you love him? …and how do I tell Sasuke?_

_**Did you know that he's actually nice, sometimes?**_

Naruto couldn't believe that Itachi Uchiha could be kind. He'd tried to attack Naruto for his Kyuubi! He'd used Sakura to get Naruto to come to him…

_**When I was injured, he carried me. And…it's hard to explain and it probably isn't that significant to you but…he gave me the bed.**_

_**And he stayed up with me when I was afraid to be alone. **_

_**I think Itachi really does have a heart, not matter how emotionless he seems.**_

Naruto felt like punching some real sense into her, but as he'd read those lines, he wondered about it. Why would Itachi Uchiha carry her? Or stay up with her when she was afraid and alone?

And then it struck Naruto.

Itachi had stopped attacking Naruto to save Sakura from Sasuke.

Does he…could he maybe not be as bad as I thought before? 

…_was that the Itachi that Sakura is talking about?_

He watched Itachi closer. Itachi seemed to notice his gaze, for their eyes locked. Once again, Naruto searched. Once again, nothing. Merely an annoyed glare and a cold smirk.

_Maybe I just have to look harder._

* * *

Kakashi was seated at the small Ichiraku stand with Jiraiya and Tsunade. He sipped some tea casually, his gaze dark and sullen. If Jiraiya and Tsunade noticed this, they tried to ignore it.

Of course, their cheerful fronts were pathetic at best. Jiraiya was flirting with Tsunade and she didn't even _try_ to pretend she was offended, or smack him for staring at her.

She clenched her hand around her tea cup, immediately loosening her grip so she wouldn't shatter it. That wouldn't end well. She was remembering Kakashi's trip to her office a few days back, when he'd asked if there was any new news about Sakura.

When she'd said no, Kakashi had merely sat down in one of the chairs and sighed. Shizune had walked inside and asked what was wrong, and Kakashi had told them a story he'd been thinking about.

About the ANBU mission he and Sakura had been sent on.

Tsunade remembered it as clear as day. The ANBU patrol had come back carrying Sakura and Kakashi. Kakashi had been unconscious and Sakura had been close to fainting as well.

It had taken so much work to save them…

_Tsunade sat down in the seat against the wall, waiting as she heard Sakura stirring on the hospital bed close to the window._

_Sakura sat up with a small grunt. The hospital blanket pooled around her waist. She looked down at the fresh bandages on her stomach that wrapped all the way around her chest, up to her collarbone. She looked to the hospital bed beside her, and saw Kakashi sleeping peacefully._

_"Sakura." Tsunade pulled Sakura out of her reverie, eyes narrowed seriously. "What the hell happened?"_

_Sakura leaned her elbow against one knee, which she had brought up close to her chest. Tsunade saw her wince slightly at the mild soreness that still remained. "It was a trap. Well, not technically. We infiltrated the base and got the files, but there was more then ten ANBU present."_

_Tsunade nodded. "How many?"_

_"Fifty."_

_Tsunade swore loudly. She could tell Sakura was just waiting for her to punch something. She barely refrained from doing so. "Fifty Mist ANBU? How on earth did you survive? Report, now."_

_Sakura nodded. "Kakashi and I entered the hideout believing we would only be dealing with ten, perhaps twenty mist-nin. We slipped inside unnoticed, and would have gotten out as well, but…thirty more mist-nin arrived as we were leaving, and one of them sensed us."_

_Tsunade's eyes darkened as she nodded for her to continue._

_Sakura did so. "I told Kakashi to get the scrolls and go, and leave me with them. But you know how Kakashi is. Kakashi thought he should be the one to fight them and hold them off, since I was the medic-nin and would be needed to heal his wounds. I differed from his opinion since I would be better at long range attacks with my taijutsu against the mist-nin, since we weren't near a large water source."_

_Sakura breathed in deeply. "Kakashi managed to kill quite a few of them, and I was fighting off some of the others. Two of the mist-nin almost blew Kakashi's arm off with a strange water jutsu, but Kakashi managed to block the brunt of it with his own copy."_

_Tsunade waited to hear more._

_"One of the two mist-ANBU captains came for me. He is the one who cut through my stomach with a water dragon missile while I was preoccupied with a few more of them. It was sloppy of me. After I was injured, I used my poison gas and then layered a genjutsu to keep them busy long enough for me to get Kakashi and myself away and mask our chakra levels. By this time we were both bleeding heavily. A few of the other mist-nin came for us, including the other leader, but we managed to elude them, although I had to fight in close combat once more, as did Kakashi. We gained a few more minor injuries because of this."_

_Tsunade snorted. Sakura and Kakashi's _minor_ injuries would have _killed_ a lesser shinobi._

_"When we were finally free, I tried to heal some of Kakashi's wounds, but I did not have enough chakra to do so with my own, merely disinfect them."_

_"I saw that. You almost died. Several times. Your heart stopped twice." Tsunade began roughly. "And Kakashi was right. You should have stayed out of the battle."_

_"If I had not joined, we would both be dead right now." Sakura answered back softly._

_Tsunade frowned. She hated it when Sakura was right. She sighed as she began looking over Sakura's injuries again. "Sakura, why do you put yourself through these missions? Why didn't you call for backup earlier? You were inside of the border when you were both blacking out, surely you could have found someone else."_

_Sakura's hands clenched on the sheet. "Because I no longer wish to be weak. That's what everyone always wanted, wasn't it? To get rid of the weak little Sakura and have a stronger kunoichi in her place?" Sakura's voice trembled slightly. _

_"Sakura…" Tsunade sighed._

_"I gave up everything to become strong. Like you and Kakashi wanted, ne? Like all of _Konoha_ wanted. I became a true shinobi. I became strong. I don't cry anymore. I don't scream. I don't laugh. I don't smile. Because emotion is weakness. I am strong and I will never go back to being weak again because—" Sakura stopped herself biting her lip as she clenched her hands._

_"…because if I do…I will be nothing." Sakura finished, looking down at the ground. "I don't have Sasuke now. I don't have Naruto. I don't have anything anymore. All I have are my skills as a shinobi. That's it. And I can't give that up, Tsunade-shishou…because if I do…I'll die."_

_Tsunade's eyes darkened with worry. She hadn't thought her and Kakashi's pressing Sakura to get better would have this effect on her. If she had known…if she had only known that Sakura would cut herself off from everyone else just to become better for Konoha, she wouldn't have pushed her._

I've never seen her like this. She's never shown that much emotion. She's always strengthened herself for the news of Naruto and Sasuke's deaths; because she lost all hope the day Naruto left.

_She grabbed Sakura in a hug. It was the only thing she could think of doing. She felt as if she had made Sakura into this empty, emotionless shell and she hated herself for it. _

_And there was nothing she could do to fix it._

Tsunade leaned against the small bar, twirling her chopsticks in the bowl. She wished she could turn back time and stop Sakura from ever becoming like she was now.

She wished she could turn back time and stop that idiot Uchiha from ever leaving so he would stay and love her Sakura-chan and they would have been happy together.

But…Sakura would have never become her apprentice…she would have never become the extraordinary medic-nin she was now. She never would have been able to save Kankuro from poison, many of Konoha's shinobi would die because Sakura hadn't been there to heal them.

_…if I could turn back time…_

_…would I, Sakura-chan? You always talked about turning back time, but you would always get the look on your face as if you didn't know if you would or wouldn't, given the chance. And now I see why…_

_What if I had turned back time even further and stopped Orochimaru from ever leaving? What would have happened then? I guess we just don't know what the future has in store for us. I never would have become such a great medic-nin…I never would have become Hokage…_

_…there are so many outcomes, so many lives hanging onto that thin strand of fate…_

Tsunade supposed that no one could truly say they'd make the right choices if they could turn back time.

_Because the new future just may turn out even more twisted than the old one. _

* * *

Itachi leaned back against the tree, ignoring the soreness of his eyes. Sakura had told him before that he shouldn't use his Sharingan all the time, but he'd ignored her, assuming she'd be there the next time he needed his eyesight healed.

He'd become dependent on her healing abilities and it irked him.

Now his eyes were a bit sore because of the new strain on his Sharingan. Sasori was seated next to him. They'd bunked down for the night, and the Konoha shinobi were keeping their distance.

Sasori pulled out a small doll from his cloak and Itachi recognized it as Sakura's geisha puppet. Sasori then pulled out a small pack and opened it, revealing many different jars of paint. He dipped a brush into one, and began fixing the scratches on the geisha puppet's face.

Itachi turned back to see Sasuke glaring at him. It was getting annoying, his brother's hatred filled gaze. If they hadn't decided to work together, he would have killed the idiot for annoying him so much. But, unfortunately, he had agreed to the strange alliance with the Leaf ANBU.

If it meant getting Sakura back—_to heal his eyes of course_—then he didn't suppose he could complain too much. Sasori, Kisame, and Deidara had noticed Itachi's foul mood from the beginning, and had decided not to talk to him. Silence seemed the best.

_I'm not worried. Why would I be? If she is too weak to survive then she isn't worth my time._

Itachi's eyes narrowed even more as they met sky blue, before the other person turned away to talk to the pale-eyed Hyuga girl.

_And why is that damned Kyuubi brat staring at me?_

* * *

Naruto watched as the Akatsuki member named Sasori begin to paint Sakura's geisha puppet. He watched as Sasori bent over it, working with care. It made him begin to believe Sakura's letter.

Maybe Sasori wasn't as demonic as he'd once thought.

"Mind if I sit with you guys, yeah?"

All of the Leaf ANBU looked up at the sound, before watching the missing stone-nin strangely.

"We do mind, actually." Tenten's eyes narrowed.

"Go ahead and sit." Naruto answered back. He had to see…he had to see if this man was like Sakura-chan had said. He had to see if she were speaking the truth.

"NANI?" Ino, Choji, Kiba, Lee, and Tenten exclaimed. Hinata let out a small gasp of surprise.

Temari, Shikamaru, and Neji looked up from their conversation a little bit away from the rest of the shinobi, then went back to it.

Sasuke glared at them all from where he was sitting against a tree, Shino watching over him to make sure he didn't do anything.

"Thanks, yeah." Deidara nodded.

There was a long moment of stilted silence, before Naruto blurted out, "Tell me about little Naruto."

Deidara blinked, before giving a small smile. "Did she tell you about him in that letter, yeah?"

"Hai." Naruto nodded.

Deidara couldn't help but smile at Naruto's trusting nature. It was as if he were trying to get to know Deidara for Sakura's sake. Sakura would have been proud.

"He was a puppy I made for her. Sakura-chan was very sad when she left all of you in Stone. He was a gift to cheer her up, yeah."

"I gift?" Lee asked suspiciously. "You gave Sakura-san a gift to make her feel better…?"

"Hai."

"Isn't that against your evil Akatsuki code, to be nice to someone?" Ino snapped.

Deidara flinched at her tone, but kept his smile. _I suppose I should try and be polite, for Sakura-chan's sake._ "Just because I'm in Akatsuki, it doesn't mean I'm a heartless jerk, yeah."

"Just that you murder innocent people and kill them for their demons." Temari snapped from where she, Shikamaru, and Neji were.

Deidara sighed softly and was ready to speak when Naruto did. "So, why did she name the puppy little Naruto?"

Deidara blinked a few times in confusion, before giving another smile. "Because she said he was just like you."

"You mean annoying, hyper, and loud?" Choji asked sarcastically, making Naruto frown.

Deidara smiled. "More like cheerful, loyal, and curious about everything."

"Th-that's Naruto-kun, alright." Hinata spoke as she blushed and avoided Naruto's gaze. The others snorted while Naruto grinned at her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

Deidara turned to look at Itachi. "He also didn't like Itachi too much, like you, yeah."

"Oh?" Naruto grinned.

"He bit him."

That made the Konoha ANBU smile, a few snickering as they looked in Itachi's direction.

Naruto sighed. "Is that when er…Itachi got rid of him?'

Deidara frowned, before his eyes flashed dangerously in Itachi's direction and his mouth was pressed in a firm, agitated line. "Yeah."

"You don't seem to get along with Itachi." Shikamaru concluded lazily.

"He made Sakura-chan cry." Was all Deidara said, before he stood. "Well, I'd better get back over there and talk to Kisame. He looks lonely, yeah." He smiled at them all as he bowed, before heading back over to the other three Akatsuki.

"Do you think that guy really cares for Sakura-san?" Lee asked.

"They wouldn't just go and rescue Sakura if they didn't like her." Ino countered.

"Maybe they still need her for her medical abilities." Shino commented.

"Do you think Kisame would call just _any_ medic-nin _kitten_?" Kiba asked.

Naruto gave a small sigh and the others looked to him, but didn't say anything out loud. They were all thinking much the same thing, however.

What had Sakura told him in that letter and what was he hiding from the rest of them?

* * *

Sakura wished she could stay asleep forever. But consciousness won out and she found herself blinking as her eyes opened. She was still sitting in the darkened room, tied to the chair.

Her entire body was sore. Her throat was raw from screaming.

But she hadn't cried. No tears. She wouldn't give him the pleasure.

She was alone, save for the insistent dripping of the damned water. She pulled on the ropes around her wrists, and winced. She'd already rubbed the skin raw in a hope to slip her hands through. The only other way she could escape was if she broke her hand. And she couldn't do that in her present state.

"Good morning, Sakura."

Sakura closed her eyes with a small sigh as he walked into the room, a smile on his face. _That bastard. _She hated his smile, and his cheerful nature. He loved seeing her in misery, didn't he?

"How are you feeling?"

"Quite well, thank you." Sakura answered sweetly. "This wonderful rope coat kept me warm in the cold freezing room; the soothing, constant dripping of the water lulled me to sleep; and the smell of the room makes me forget that I haven't bathed in two days, and it has cured my stuffy nose."

"I love your sarcasm, Sakura." Tomokazu sighed. "You really have an interesting way of dealing with horrible situations."

"It keeps me sane." Sakura grunted.

"This situation doesn't have to be horrible, Sakura…" Tomokazu murmured as he bit into the apple he held. How he could eat in a room that smelled like the dead amazed Sakura. She had thrown up in the beginning from the smell, it had been that unbearable.

"Just tell me how to use the jutsu."

Sakura gritted her teeth. "Just begin the damn torture already, Tomokazu, because I'm not telling you shit." She hated the fact that he was making her revert back to her younger days, with her short temper and colorful language. She'd thought she'd gotten over that.

Tomokazu gave a patient sigh, as if he were dealing with a stubborn child. "Sakura, Sakura…" He shook his head with another smile. "How long do you think you can last under this strain? If your entire body doesn't shut down I'll be surprised."

He began tracing the outline of her jaw again.

_If I tell him the jutsu, he'll use it against them all. I have to be strong._

_That is my ninja way._

_Protect the ones I love: Konoha…Naruto… Kakashi… Sasuke… Deidara… Sasori… Kisame…_

_…Itachi…_

He bent his face down near her's, their lips nearly touching.

Sakura merely gritted her teeth as she waited for the pain to begin. Tomokazu stared down into her eyes with his silver ones, and the amusement that flickered in their cold depths frightened Sakura.

"How many more hours do you think you can handle this pain? You've been suffering on and off for the past day or so. Why don't you just end the pain and tell me what I want to know?"

Silence.

"Very well." Tomokazu's voice was a deadly, icy cold. "Then I'll just have to show you the next level of my jutsu, Sakura. I told you that it could bring mental pain as well, just like the Mangekou. Enjoy."

The pain slammed into her full force and she let out a choked gasp.

_And then suddenly she was falling forward out of her chair, slumping onto the ground. She hit a puddle of blood in front of her, and then she slammed down into it and it turned into an expansive ocean._

_She struggled, opening her mouth to scream, but she couldn't. Her mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood and she quickly shut it, choking. She tried to swim upwards as she drifted down into the shadowed depths of the water, but her body wouldn't move._

_She couldn't swim. Her lungs felt ready to burst. There was nothing she could do._

No! No! I can get out of this! It's just an illusion! I broke the Mangekou and I can break _this_ cheap imitation! It doesn't…_really_…hurt…_Her eyesight began blurring as her lungs screamed for air. Her entire body felt as if it was on fire, and it hurt to move. She was falling…farther and farther…_

_The light at the surface was fading as she fell into darkness. She could just see, barely…the outline of someone standing…_

_She squinted as she tried to make out who it was._

_And then she recognized him. _

_Itachi Uchiha…_

Itachi! Help me!_ She screamed silently, reaching forward. But his reflection in the water…_

…_the crimson reflection that radiated out of the bloodied depths… _

…_It did not waver. It did not move._

_He merely stared at her, with a cold smirk on his face._

_**Shisui Uchiha was found dead. He drowned. It was labeled a suicide, but we have our suspicions…**_

_Sakura remembered reading the file on the death of one of the last Uchihas before the Uchiha massacre._

_**The last person to have seen him alive was Itachi Uchiha, whom he had been assigned to watch.**_

_Sakura felt her vision fading. _Did you watch your best friend drown as well, Itachi? Or did you kill him first and then dump the body?

_**Itachi Uchiha later confessed to killing Shisui.**_

You did it for the Mangekou…

_Sakura continued falling downwards._

Tell me, Itachi…was it worth it?

_She closed her eyes, letting the darkness encompass her. _It's a genjutsu! Don't give in Sakura! It's not real! Itachi would save you! He _would_!

_She looked up, forcing her eyes open. And she saw it, a hand outstretched and reaching into the water…reaching for _her.

_Strength suddenly entered her limbs, as she kicked, swimming upwards. A small light seemed to burn inside of her as she reached forward, desperately clutching. _

He did what he did and I can't forgive him for it…but there's nothing I can do about it, is there? He's shown me that maybe…maybe he's changed just a little…I won't…

…I won't give up on him…

_And then she grabbed the outstretched hand and it pulled her out of the water. She took a breath of fresh air as she leaned against him, sopping wet. The ground beneath her was solid, and she felt safe._

_"That was foolish of you Sakura. You could have been hurt."_

_Sakura let out a small laugh that faded into a genuine smile as she closed her eyes._

_"…Itachi…"_

Tomokazu smirked as he watched her whimper in pain. He wondered what she was seeing. Tears welled in her eyes but surprisingly enough, they did not fall.

He watched her tremble as aftershocks of pain hit her. After all, it still caused her physical pain as well.

Her face was contorted with pain. That's when he thought her the most beautiful, with her face flushed and her eyes clenched shut as she screamed. He'd always thought that death and suffering were pretty…

And then her entire body relaxed. She slumped against the chair and her breathing evened out. Her face softened and a small smile graced her features. A triumphant smile.

"…_Itachi_…"

Tomokazu's eyes narrowed in anger and disappointment as he stood there for a moment, his breath quickening in anger. Then he hurriedly walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him, leaving her to the aftereffects of the jutsu.

"I'll just have to make it even more painful next time, won't I Sakura? Let's see how Uchiha feels when he rescues a _corpse_!"

He'd lost.

He _hated_ losing.

**

* * *

**

**(A/N: Another chapter. Geeze, Tomokazu is a wonderful nutcase, isn't he? Anger management problems, perhaps? Yeah, I don't suggest anyone else try and hug him. We already have a few people in the hospital because of it. :) (that really made my day)**

**Well, we all knew Sasuke wasn't going to like what was going on. Oh well. He's just being stubborn. Sakura is more important than revenge! Argh! (I really do like Sasuke, even if I did make him an ass in this story, hopefully he'll be nicer in the next fanfiction that I write after this series is finished) Anyway, did you like the Deidara and Konoha moment? I think he's starting to be redeemed in their eyes…_maybe_…**

**And Naruto is trying to figure what the heck Sakura was talking about in her letter. Our cute little Kyuubi container is so confused… (it makes me smile)**

**Well, the next chapter may be a little while away…**

**How many of you think Tomokazu is hot? I want to know what everyone thinks he looks like. My sister and I have conflicting views on a few things about him, but we both agree that he's drop-dead gorgeous. I just want to know what everyone else things. (-sigh-if only he wasn't evil and insane…)**

**Until then, see ya!**

**Question: If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?)**


	19. Chapter 18: Meltdown

**Disclaimer:** I do indeed own Tomokazu. So he isn't a real Naruto character, or really in Akatsuki (bummer). But I don't own anyone else. (only _one_, hot evil guy for me. Darn it.)

**Chapter 18**

**Meltdown**

Sakura smiled softly to herself as she heard the door slam. She winced as the sound echoed off the solid stone walls, making her head ache.

_Would you kill me, Tomokazu?_

_You killed the woman you love, so I suppose it only makes sense. History often repeats itself._

She breathed in deeply, ignoring the stabbing pain that shot through her body when she moved. Just because she'd beaten the illusion part of the jutsu, she still had the actual physical part to deal with.

And she was completely drained.

_But could it be…that you're trying to make up for what you did to her by not killing me? You could have done so already, if you had wanted to._

She leaned her head back, letting the chilling air of the room wash over her hot, fevered skin.

_…are you trying to turn back time?_

She gave a small laugh as she spit out a mouthful of blood.

_You can't._

She wondered why she even bothered to worry about it. Sooner or later she'd die. She knew that already. No one could last long under this type of pain. And without her chakra, she had no way to heal herself or strengthen herself for the next time he used the jutsu on her.

_Dammit, there's nothing I can do. Do I just sit here and wait to die now? _She thought angrily to herself, gritting her teeth.

…_I'm afraid to die._

_I always thought I could deal with it. When I was using the suicide jutsu in Sound, I was ready to die for Konoha…_

_But now…I'm afraid to die…_

_…afraid to die alone._

Sakura's hands clenched slightly behind her back as she ignored the burning in her eyes. She wouldn't cry. Not now. She wouldn't be so god-dammed weak!

_Maybe it was because I never had anything to live for…and I do now. I…I've found my place and I don't want to leave. I don't want to die here without anyone, without any of them knowing that for once, once in my life…_

_…I was happy._

Sakura blinked. She wondered when the last time was that she could truly say she had been happy, even if just a little bit.

_Sakura trudged towards her door at the sound of incessant knocking. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and gave a small sigh as she made her way across the living room. Her apartment wasn't that big, but it felt like it took her miles just to get across the room._

_Of course, she'd only gotten a few hours of sleep the night before. She had arrived back at Konoha from a long mission, and after meeting with Tsunade and giving _her_ account of the mission, she had finally been allowed to head home. She'd fallen immediately into bed, only to be awoken four hours later by someone knocking on her door. Loudly._

_She already felt like she knew who it was._

_"Ino, what is it?" Sakura opened the door with a sigh. Her best friend walked inside with a grin._

_"You're back! Good. I would have felt stupid knocking at your door if no one answered."_

_Sakura gave a loud sigh. "Why are you here?"_

_Ino flicked a finger underneath her nose. "Sakura, Sakura, don't be so impatient." She headed to the kitchen, where Sakura was making herself some tea. She grabbed a rice ball from the table and took a bite._

_"Well," She munched thoughtfully as Sakura sat down opposite her. "I wanted to ask you if you'd decided to take a Genin team. Shikamaru told me Tsunade suggested you for a team next year."_

_Sakura rubbed her temples. "Do you have any idea how many people have asked me that question?" _Every single Jônin I meet has asked me whether or not I'm going to jump straight to Jônin sensei from ANBU. I'm not even that _good_.

_Ino snickered. "I heard from Shikamaru that you were second-guessing yourself. Why? You'd make a good sensei, forehead. You have that motherly instinct."_

_Sakura smiled at the nickname. Ino never used it anymore, unless she ran out of anything else to say. Sakura couldn't even remember the last time she'd called Ino, Ino-pig._

_Ino had continued to stay friends with Shikamaru and Choji, even after Shikamaru had become engaged with Temari of the Sand. Ino was even friends with Temari. In fact, after Sakura, Sakura believed Temari came in a very close second. They were both headstrong. Like twins. As if one wasn't enough._

_"Thanks, I think." Sakura answered back sarcastically. She stood and looked at the large pile of dishes sitting in her sink. She gave a sigh. "Who was staying at my house while I was away? They dirtied all the dishes."_

_"Well, you asked me to watch the house. So I stayed over a few days." Ino shrugged._

_Sakura began running the steaming water, pouring in some soap. Ino came up beside her._

_"I'll rinse."_

_Sakura nodded as she began scrubbing the dirty dishes._

_"All I'm saying, Sakura, is that you're good with children. Or you used to be, before you became such a serious prick."_

_Sakura sighed. It was true; she hadn't spent much time with her old friends anymore since she was so busy training and on missions. But she wouldn't call herself a 'prick'._

_There was a knock at the door once again. "H-hello?"_

_Ino was the one who yelled out, "Come on in Hinata! The door's unlocked!" In a few seconds Hinata was peering around the corner at them._

_"Hello Ino, S-Sakura."_

_"Good morning Hinata." Sakura nodded, up to her arms in soapsuds. "How are you?"_

_"Good." Hinata whispered. She came up beside Ino. "Oh, you're d-doing dishes? Here, let m-me help. I'll dry."_

_Sakura handed a plate to Ino, who rinsed it off._

_"I didn't know you made such early social calls, Hinata." Ino joked._

_Hinata blushed. "Oh. Well. I wanted to t-talk with Sakura."_

_Sakura nodded with another ghost of her old smile. "Shoot."_

_Ino gave a plate to Hinata, who thoughtfully dried it with a towel. She placed it on the counter to be put away later. She bit her lip as if she were stalling._

_"Well. I heard y-you weren't sure about becoming a sensei."_

_"Oi."_

_Hinata looked startled at Sakura's answer and opened her mouth to apologize but Ino merely gave her another clean dish to dry. "Don't worry. It's just because she's heard it a million times before."_

_There was another loud knock on the door. "Sakura! You there?" It was two people this time. "We're coming in! The door's unlocked!"_

_Temari and Tenten rounded the corner into the kitchen and stopped for a moment. Then they grinned and walked over._

_"So, when did Sakura hire so many little maids?" Temari teased as she began taking the dried plates and putting them up in their respective places. Tenten followed suit._

_"Don't tell me, you're here to tell me I should become a sensei as well?" Sakura raised one eyebrow._

_"Wow. How did you know?" Tenten smirked._

_"Because every single person I've met so far has tried to persuade me to do so."_

_"N-Neji wants you to b-become a sensei." Hinata whispered._

_There was a loud moment of silence. Everyone turned to look at the young Hyuga heiress._

_Hinata blushed a deep red as she continued drying a dish, fumbling with the cloth. "W-well…um…"_

_"He told you he wanted Sakura to become a sensei? Why?" Ino asked, puzzled._

_"Well, they _are_ really good friends. I swear, Sakura spends more time with Shikamaru and Neji than she does with us, her gal pals." Tenten teased._

_Sakura sighed. "We _are_ all three ANBU captains."_

_"Of course." Temari nodded solemnly, trying to force herself not to smile. She then looked down at the dish in her hand. "Where does this go?"_

_"Over there." Sakura pointed with her head before she sighed, brushing a wet hand through her short hair. She looked back at all of her friends._

_"Very well. If it will keep you five from griping, I suppose I can look into becoming a sensei. How bad can it get?"_

_All five grinned triumphantly, and Sakura almost regretted her decision. That was when two other kunoichi entered the house._

_"Hey Sakura!" Anko greeted with a grin. "Nice to see you. I heard you and Genma just got back from a mission a few hours ago. How was it?"_

_"He didn't try anything improper, did he?" Kurenai asked._

_Sakura smiled at them all, as Anko turned to help Ino wash, and Kurenai grabbed another towel._

_She began explaining to them the details she could about the mission. She reveled in the bond she still had with these women._

_It had been so long since she had just spent time with her friends._

_It was nice. _

Sakura gave a small sigh as she opened her eyes again, only to be met with the dismal black of the room. She had told Tsunade the next day she'd think about becoming a sensei. Tsunade had merely grinned from ear to ear before slapping her on the back, which had sent Sakura onto the floor.

She and Neji had been told they'd be evaluated over the next year and then see if they'd make it to Jônin sensei. Sakura's ANBU team had been a little disgruntled at the idea of losing their captain.

She had been expecting to get her answer back when she arrived home from that last ANBU mission.

She wondered…would she have been a good sensei? _Motherly instincts, eh? I can't even have children anymore. How great of a mother _can_ I be?_ She thought angrily.

But Sakura had no more time to think about what could have been. She was tired, and sore. She was mentally and physically drained. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Sleep…and wait.

* * *

Kisame gave a small growl as he rubbed his back. It was sore, from the position he'd been sleeping in for the past few hours. He heard a happy yip from that stupid ninja mutt, and he opened his eyes angrily. 

"Dammit! Some of us are trying to sleep!"

Temari gave a small smirk. "Are you rested yet, Kisame-san? Or should I tuck you in and sing you a lullaby so you can get back to your afternoon nap?" She mimicked his infamous words he'd yelled at the Konoha ANBU the day before.

Kisame gritted his teeth as the Konoha shinobi let out a few laughs at his expense, and Deidara snorted. Sasori busied himself with Sakura's puppet, hiding a small smile by looking down.

Kisame's own mouth twitched, but he forced it to remain a frown. "Ha, ha." _I should have known they wouldn't be above throwing my own words back at me. Che. Just like that idiot Deidara and kitten._

"What's made you so cranky, Kisame, yeah?" Deidara asked.

"Nothing." Kisame muttered, shouldering Samehada. "Nothing at all."

"Let's get going." Itachi spoke in his usual voice, which didn't disconcert the Akatsuki members at all. But it made some of the Konoha shinobi stiffen, as if they weren't used to such a harsh tone.

_Babies._ Kisame mocked silently. _A bunch of immature children._

The Konoha shinobi were thinking much along the same guidelines as they stared at the blue-skinned shark-man.

"How much longer do you think until we find Tomokazu's hideout, yeah?" Deidara asked no one in particular.

"Judging by the way the Aburame's kikai seem to be returning to him sooner from their scouting missions, I believe we are nearing our destination." Sasori answered back as he watched them all.

Shino blinked, turning to the missing-nin from Sand. He was sharp. Shino and the others would have to remember that.

"What's so great about this Tomokazu guy, anyway?" Kiba drawled.

"I think what Kiba means is, does he have any significant jutsus we should know about?" Tenten finished as the Akatsuki gave Kiba a condescending look.

Kisame shrugged. "I don't know kid. That's the thing. We've never seen him _use_ his damn special jutsu, so we don't even know if he even has one."

Sasori gave a small sigh. "Not necessarily, Kisame."

Everyone turned to look at the puppet master. Sasori met their gaze with his cool, calm one. "He used it on me once. I presume it was his kekkei genkai."

"What did it do, yeah? Why didn't you tell us, Sasori?" Deidara asked.

Sasori raised one eyebrow, giving a small sigh. "I do not know what it does, merely that it causes extreme pain upon touch."

"He used it on Sakura."

They all turned to the younger Uchiha. That was the first sentence Sasuke had spoken since they'd begun that didn't contain the words 'Itachi' 'murder' or 'revenge'. His eyes were dark, as if he were seeing something in the past.

"He did WHAT to my kitten?" Kisame roared. "I'll murder that bastard with my own hands!"

"Then I'll have someone bring him back to life with a forbidden jutsu and kill him all over again!" Naruto finished angrily as well.

There was a moment of silence, before Deidara answered back with a small smile, "You'll have to dig him up, because I will have already killed him, yeah."

Naruto stared at Kisame, who was watching him with a small frown of annoyance at being caught saying the same thing as the Kyuubi container. He merely huffed as he leaned against one of the trees.

"Uchiha, what exactly did he do to Haruno-san?" Sasori asked, turning to Sasuke. "Did you notice anything special about the jutsu he used? Any hand signs beforehand?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No."

Shikamaru gave a small sigh. "Alright, we won't get anywhere sitting here. Let's talk while we move."

"Here, here." Lee cheered. "Let us get going!"

"Akamaru still has a faint scent. Come on." Kiba answered back, jumping into the trees. The Konoha shinobi followed them, the Akatsuki a bit more sedately.

"It isn't wise to tell them anything we do not need to."

Deidara, Kisame, and Sasori turned to look at Itachi.

"It will merely complicate things."

* * *

Tomokazu stormed down the hallway. His entire body hummed with anger as it heated his blood. He gritted his teeth slightly as he walked into his room, closing the door with a slam. He sat down heavily in his chair, practically throwing himself into it. 

He took a large drink of his sake before he threw the bottle against the wall, making it shatter. The liquid dripped down the stone, forming a puddle filled with glass and sake.

"Tomokazu-sama?"

Tomokazu's eyes narrowed as the door opened and one of his Sound Jônin appeared.

"What do you want?" Tomokazu snapped out.

"A-are you alright, Tomokazu-sama?"

"What the hell would make you think I wasn't alright?" Tomokazu growled, grabbing the second glass on the small side table, filling it with sake.

"I'm sorry, Tomokazu-sama. By the way, we've gotten word that Konoha has agreed to an alliance with Sound." The Jônin didn't sound to pleased with the idea.

Tomokazu leaned his cheek against his hand as he watched the Sound Jônin through narrowed, silver eyes. "Tell me, do you truly believe that I give a damn at the moment?" He had regained his calm, cruel façade, the infuriated one disappearing instantly.

The Jônin swallowed, not answering.

"Well?" _Keep it cool, Tomokazu, so that the damn idiot will leave you alone._

"I…I don't know, Tomokazu-sama."

"Just get out." Tomokazu ordered.

"But sir, I have something else to tell you—"

"Get OUT!" Tomokazu threw the second sake glass, and it shattered against the wall, just to the right of the Sound Jônin's head. His earlier promise of reserve and calm seemed to have flown out the window.

The Jônin fled quickly, closing the door behind him softly. Tomokazu glared at the closed door, eyes glowing. He breathed in deeply, trying to regain his composure. That was easier said than done.

_I can't believe it…I can't believe she still thought of _him._ How could she do that to me?_

_I thought she loved me._

In Tomokazu's twisted mind, he believed that Sakura and the young girl Masako who had loved him were one in the same. It was almost as if Sakura were merely a clone of her. A pink-haired clone. And he couldn't understand why she was acting this way.

She was supposed to love him back.

That's how it worked, right?

_Those eyes…they were cold. They aren't supposed to be cold. They're supposed to be happy and shine with laughter like before, dammit! Why isn't Masako-chan the same anymore?_

He remembered when he'd seen her laughing with Deidara and Kisame.

_Why isn't Masako-chan laughing anymore? She was happy before, with them. Why can't she be happy with me?_

_Because you killed her!_

_No! No! I didn't kill Masako-chan! She's right here! She's in the next room! She's ALIVE!_

Tomokazu gave a small groan as he clutched his head. Images began running through his head. Masako, smiling as she tugged on his arm and they headed down the street. She was happy.

Then the young, pink-haired kunoichi, laughing as she tugged on Deidara's arm and they headed down the street at the Cloud village during the festival. _She_ was happy.

And then her harsh breaths and whimpers as his jutsu slowly faded. Not happy anymore.

Sad. Angry. Hurt.

_**"Masako-chan? Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"**_

_**"Masako-chan? Answer me! Are you alright? Why are you bleeding so much, Masako-chan! Wake up! Wake UP!"**_

But she didn't wake up.

Until he'd seen her bright emerald eyes as she sat in Itachi Uchiha's windowsill, combing her hair thoughtfully. But her eyes weren't happy. They were empty then. She'd looked so different, with her hair in that silly, bright pink. She'd always loved that shade of pink.

_Why did you die your hair, Masako-chan? Is it because you knew I always hated that color? You wanted to tease me about it and see me frown, is that it?_

Tomokazu slowly stood, heading out of the room and down the hall silently. He heard the far off echo of water dripping. It was a steady reminder of where he was, and where he was heading.

He merely continued walking, his eyes fevered in anger and excitement.

* * *

Kakashi stood in front of the memorial stone once more. Kurenai and Asuma had come, saying they'd merely stopped by to pay their respects to some friends. 

Kakashi didn't know why they tried to pretend. He knew they had come to see if he was alright.

"Kakashi, I'd heard you were thinking of becoming ANBU permanently again, is that true?" Kurenai asked thoughtfully, seeing his gaze travel to the stone. _Poor Sakura…you were such a nice girl. Hinata really looked up to you. _

Kurenai then looked back at Kakashi. She'd seen that strange, glazed look in many eyes before, the way the eyes drained of all life as they breathed their last breath. _Oh Kakashi…there's nothing you can do. You tried your best to keep your team together. It's not your fault._

"Hai." Kakashi finally spoke. "I've been thinking about it." There was another moment of silence as Asuma and Kurenai watched him worriedly as he seemed to become trapped in his own little world.

In truth, he was thinking back to a small, happy memory.

When Sakura had first become an ANBU captain.

_Kakashi was walking slowly through Konoha, his mind wandering as his feet took him wherever he wished. He hadn't ever truly paid attention to where he went at night anymore._

_He just went._

"_Ne, Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing out here?"_

_Kakashi looked up to see Sakura. She was standing at the old bridge, leaning against it as the looked out at the water. The bridge were Team seven would always meet. Kakashi slowly walked up to her, giving one of his cheerful smiles that could only be read by the crinkling at the corner of his eye._

"_I was just taking a walk down the road of life."_

_Sakura let out a small laugh. "Funny, Kakashi-sensei."_

"_I'm no longer your sensei, Sakura-chan." Kakashi leaned his elbows against the bridge railing. "You don't have to call me that."_

"_If I can't call you sensei, then you can't call me 'chan', Kakashi." Sakura answered back readily._

_Kakashi smiled. "So, you're an ANBU captain now. You've moved up in the world, haven't you?" He asked in a teasing voice._

_Sakura shot him a sideways smile. "I suppose I have."_

"_It's all because of my wonderful teaching abilities, of course." Kakashi joked._

"_I thought it was because of my hard work." Sakura grinned, although Kakashi could tell it was forced. "But I suppose you might have played a small part in it."_

"_You should see Tsunade. She's bursting with pride. Every shinobi who walks into her office suddenly seems to find themselves stuck in a corner, listening to her tell in _avid_ detail, about all your wonderful skills and that you're soon going to become stronger than she is." _

"_You sound as if you've been on the receiving end of this experience." Sakura mused._

"_Twice, actually. She forgot she had told me it the first time, then made me sit and listen again just because she wanted to talk about it to someone." Kakashi gave a small chuckle. "You'd think you'd just become Hokage, Sakura, the way she goes on about you."_

_Sakura gave a small sigh. "I have a feeling several annoyed shinobi are going to be coming to speak with me soon. If you don't see me tomorrow, it's because they've killed me."_

_Kakashi gave another small laugh. "Sakura, I know I've never been that good of a teacher to you. And I want to make it up to you. I know how you and Naruto both thought that I played favorites, and that I spent more time with Sasuke than either of you."_

_Sakura turned to look at him._

"_And that's true. I guess…I guess I thought he was so much like me that I had to help him, because I felt as if it was my duty."_

"_You aren't like him." Sakura whispered as she shook her head. "You didn't betray your friends."_

"_**Those who betray their friends are worse then trash." **_

_Kakashi remained silent for a moment, as he let her words sink in. "Sakura, I've decided that it's only fair I teach you a technique now. I need someone to inherit my Chidori after all, ne?" He asked with another smile._

_Sakura turned to look at him, surprise on her face. "But Kakashi…I don't have the Sharingan! How can I use it effectively?"_

_Kakashi shrugged. "Sakura, I know you'll find some use for it, someday. Besides, the Sharingan is merely helpful in evading other people's attacks, since you can read their movements and not break your chakra concentration. But you have perfect chakra control, better than mine. And you've been training with weights. So I don't doubt you could find a way to maneuver around an attack and still keep the Chidori activated."_

"_I'm so glad _one_ of us has faith in me." Sakura muttered._

_Kakashi gave another small laugh as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving them a squeeze._

"_I have enough for both of us, Sakura."_

* * *

Sakura awoke to a hand lightly stroking her hair. Her brow furrowed as she blinked sleepily, opening her eyes slowly. Darkness assailed her vision, like always. She still felt the hand combing through her hair, gently stroking it. She frowned, because she couldn't see who was doing it. They must have been standing behind her. 

"You're awake." It was a statement, not a question.

Sakura gritted her teeth as she realized who it was immediately. Tomokazu. She gave a small sigh as she shifted, turning her head away from him to try and get him to stop touching her. "Unfortunately."

She heard a soft sighed and a small chuckle. "Don't act like that. It isn't very becoming of you."

Sakura noticed the strange change in his tone. He sounded…younger. Kinder. Different.

"I liked your hair better brown."

Sakura's brow furrowed as she craned her neck to look at him, where he was standing beside the chair. "Nani?"

"What's in the scroll?"

Sakura gave a small sigh, not willing to deal with this today, nor with his strange, newly developed insanity. She almost liked the old insanity better. "You know I'm not going to tell you, Tomokazu."

She heard another soft sigh, as he began stroking her cheek, stepping to the front of the chair. "Don't make me hurt you. I don't want to hurt you, but you never leave me with a choice."

"Get away from me, Tomokazu."

"Don't you love me anymore, Masako-chan?" He leaned forward, his lips brushing her jaw.

"Masako-chan?" Sakura echoed, thoroughly confused. "_Nani_?"

He whispered hoarsely in her ear, his breath hot against her skin. "Just pretend for a moment, blossom. Pretend for me."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked in a slightly frantic voice. So, he stilled remembered slightly that she was Sakura, not this Masako-chan he kept talking about.

His tongue darted across her skin and Sakura froze. "You taste sweet."

"Let go of me." Sakura whispered. "Let go of me now, Tomokazu. I'm not Masako-chan."

"Yes you are, blossom. You have no idea…" Tomokazu laughed darkly as he continued kissing her neck.

"Stop it!" Sakura struggled against the ropes, and they rubbed against her skin, making it burn. She tried to turn her head, but that merely exposed her neck more to his mouth. _What the hell is he doing? Oh god, stop it!_

_Will he try to rape me?_

_Oh no. Oh no, oh no…I can't live through that again. I can't. I'll die._

_Oh god…_

_ITACHI!  
_But he did not come. There was no Itachi.

"S…stop…p-please." Sakura hiccupped. She tried to hold in her tears. She desperately blinked her eyes to keep them from falling. She wanted this to end. It was worse, worse than the pain. Because all she could think about was the night Itachi had raped her. The images began flashing through her mind and she clenched her eyes shut, trying to hide from the painful pictures.

But they only became more vivid.

Tomokazu smirked as he stepped away, seeing her shaking uncontrollably. She let out a small sob from behind her lips, which she had pressed together in an effort not to scream. She wasn't looking at him, she was looking at something far, far, away.

_I'll break you soon, blossom._

_Then I will have the scroll back._

_And I will have my Masako-chan back as well._

And with that, Tomokazu planted a kiss upon her trembling lips before whispering, "Goodnight, blossom." She let out a small whimper against his cheek.

He merely smiled darkly, his silver eyes lit with triumph as he walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him softly.

_She will never want you again, Itachi. Not after tonight. She will see you for what you really are, how you were before she entered your life. _

_And she will break._

…

…

…

_And I will win._

**

* * *

**

**(A/N: Ok, so Tomokazu is definitely crazy. That can be established now. No amount of help will fix him, I think. He's just a little too far off the deep end now. Poor Sakura, now she's thinking about the night Itachi raped her. Way to go Tomokazu! (-stares down at him with a frown- "Bad boy!")**

**I am so excited, I am almost at 1000 reviews! I love you all! If I could, I would give you all a hug, a kiss, and a cookie! I may pass out some Itachi and Tomokazu plush dolls too. Hehehe. (well, the Tomokazu dolls would be more like voodoo dolls. I can see Kisame with one now…oh boy)**

**Uh, I wanted to know, do any of you think I've made Itachi OOC? I mean, I don't mind constructive criticism (it always helps make writing better) but I think I did well with keeping him in character. I mean, I know that in the beginning of the story he would never, EVER have cared about Sakura like he does now, but that's the whole point of the story. I mean, it's called A Ripple in the Pond for a reason: Sakura is the drop of water that branches out and makes a ripple, which effects everyone else and changes them, for better or worse. It's all about how she's changed the Akatsuki and shaped them into the people they are now. If someone began reading Crimson Reflections without reading A Ripple in the Pond, I suppose they'd think he was majorly OOC, but I think I've done fairly well. I mean, we all know he's never going to say 'I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you Sakura!' because I think we'd all faint and die.**

**Ok, big breath. Now that all of THAT is out…I don't mean to sound defensive. In fact, it doesn't really bother me too much, since I know I can't please everyone. There will always be someone who's angry with how I write. (Don't I know it). I just like to explain myself so that perhaps other people will understand why I've molded the characters the way that I have.**

**On a lighter note (or perhaps darker) more Sakura anguish in the next chapter. Come on Akatsuki and Konoha, get there fast! Another sweet Kakashi moment. I love that man; he is **_**definitely**_** one of my favorite characters if you hadn't noticed by now. **

**So, next chapter: Tomokazu is still a meany, Sakura cries, Itachi gets angry, the rescue team gets closer, and Lady Hanaka gets absolutely no sleep so that she can continue with the **_**next**_** chapter. Hehehe.**

**Tootles,**

**Lady Hanaka**

**Question:** **If your clone kills you, is that suicide?)**


	20. Chapter 19: Don't Give In!

**Chapter 19**

**Don't Give In **

Sakura bit her lip as she breathed in shakily. _Dammit! Stop thinking about it Sakura! You're hurting yourself worse than Tomokazu's jutsu would! NO NO NO! _

_He doesn't love me. He can't, can he? Why was I being a damn idiot! I thought that maybe, he could change, just a little…for me… _

_But he can't! He raped me! I tried to forget but it won't go away and oh god…_ Sakura let out a small whimper as the images flashed through her mind. Her body felt as if it were on fire, and she could feel every spot he had touched her. She could hear every single one of her pleas for him to stop.

_NO! NO! NONONONONONONONO!  
_Sakura clenched her fists, feeling her nails dig into the flesh of her palms. Warm liquid rushed over her fingertips as she willed herself not to cry.

_I won't do it. I won't. _

_Oh god please…I don't want to remember… _

Sakura had spent the last couple of months trying to forget the memory that was now surfacing. She felt weak, because she was still letting it affect her so much. She clenched her eyes shut, grinding her teeth.

_Not one more whimper, Sakura. Nothing. Not a sob, not a tear. _

_…be strong. _

Sakura had always prided herself on her strength of mind. She had always been the smartest. Why couldn't she force down those horrendous hours and think of something else?

She breathed in deeply, reciting the first nine shinobi sayings in her head. That had always been a way of meditation for her before. But for some reason, it did not seem to be helping. The shinobi code just seemed to slam into her full force.

Because it defined a shinobi as strong, silent, deadly, intelligent, emotionless.

Everything she wasn't.

_They always told you that you weren't meant to be a shinobi. You never had any real talent in the field. Your parents were only Chûnin. You had no kekkei genkai. You weren't particularly good at anything, really. Just a bit of genjutsu,_ an inner voice sang maliciously. _What ever made you think it would change? _

Sakura bit her lip. She didn't try and stop the demented voice from berating her, however. Because for even such a short time, it kept her mind from the night of her rape. And that's all that she had wanted.

_Because Lee and Naruto showed me…they showed me that you can become strong through hard work and training. That you don't have to be a prodigy! _

_Che. Naruto had a demon inside of him. Of course he became strong. And Lee? Well, he had a sensei that actually trained with him, didn't he? _

_Kakashi-sensei cared! He trained me! _

_Ha! He never did such a thing. You were just the little tag-along. The person they fit into the group because they couldn't find someone else. A filler. And Kakashi resented you for it. You had no talent. You were just a burden. He, Sasuke, and Naruto always had to protect you. _

_NO! I'm an ANBU now. I became strong. Don't you dare tell me that I'm not strong. _

Sakura opened her eyes, only to be met with darkness. Then, like a small whisper that she could almost physically hear, her mind gave a small laugh.

_You weren't strong enough to keep Itachi from raping you. _

She slumped against the ropes as all the strength left her. She couldn't even fight her own inner self now. How could she fight the truth, anyway? She had always known she was weak. Always. She felt the warm liquid fill her eyes.

Why did she believe that she could have changed?

_Maybe Neji was right when he was fighting Naruto. Maybe I can never become strong because that is my fate. I can never be more than I already was. _

_But look at Naruto! Naruto is strong! So how can what Neji said be true? _

_Neji didn't know about Naruto's demon. If he did…surely he would have seen that Naruto is destined to be Hokage. _

_I guess…I guess they were all right. I guess I should have just listened to them all in the first place. If I had stopped trying to be a shinobi, I wouldn't be in this mess. No one would ever have to worry about Sakura Haruno ever again. _

The tears gathered on her lashes, waiting to drop.

_Stop wallowing in your own damn self-pity! _

Sakura blinked. The scream in her head felt like a slap to the face, or a nice bucketful of ice water. She hadn't heard that voice for a while. The confident, inner Sakura. The one who Sakura had once believed could do anything. Even make her strong.

_You are an ANBU for heaven's sake. _

_You're the best medic the world has to offer. You'll be better than Tsunade soon, even _she_ says so! _

_Think of all the people who would have died if you'd never become a medic-nin under Tsunade. _

_…what would have happened to Ino? _

Sakura tried to ignore the sensible part of her. She hated when she was proven wrong.

By herself, no less.

_And just one more little thought: you seem to have forgotten that you're in Akatsuki now. _

_They don't let weaklings in. _

_Think about it. _

And then that annoying inner voice was gone as quickly as it had come forth.

There was a long moment of silence as Sakura merely sat there in the chair, breathing softly. She felt the darkness all around her, but it seemed to lighten as the images of the night Itachi had raped her slowly faded into the background, like a worn photograph.

Sakura gave a small smile, as she leaned back in her chair.

_He did change, Tomokazu… _

_He isn't the person I thought he was…the person all of the world thinks he is. _

_He's just Itachi. He's cold, he's arrogant, and he's harsh sometimes. _

_But he can be kind. He's hurting and lost and… _

Sakura's smile widened slightly as she closed her eyes and let herself fall asleep.

_…and I'm going to save him. _

* * *

Sai shifted on his perch, feeling the sunlight filter through the leaves in small patches, warming bits and pieces of his back and shoulder. The bark on his back was cool to the touch, a nice offset to the warmth of the sun.

The sunny weather seemed to mock the people of Konoha. It dared to shine brightly and cheerfully in a now seemingly dismal village. It dared to grace them all with its warm touch when they all felt so cold inside.

And it was all because of that large-foreheaded, pink-haired, former teammate of his.

Well, he supposed he couldn't really say she had a big forehead anymore. She'd grown into it well. It gave her a look of nobility and fragility that was so unlike her. It offset the strength in her jaw, the gleam of confidence that had sometimes lit her eyes.

He'd once called her Ugly.

After a few years the name had worn off. Especially after he'd been getting death glares from Hyuga Neji.

Besides, the name didn't fit her anymore.

Sai pulled his sketchbook out of his pack, running a thoughtful finger over the faded cover. He wondered at the strange tightening in his chest as he thought of Sakura and her whereabouts now.

Was he worried?

How could he be? He'd never felt any real emotion before. How was he to know what worry and anxiety felt like?

Sakura had never taught him that emotion before.

_"Oi. Do I have to keep lying here like this? I feel like an idiot." Sakura commented. _

_Sai looked up from where he sat against the trunk of a tree in the clearing, his sketchbook in hand. His paints sat beside him. "Don't move." _

_Sakura gave a small sigh from where she lay on the tree branch, sprawled out rather precariously on it. She shifted in her kimono, one pale leg offsetting the tantalizing crimson of the fabric. "I don't see how you got me to do this, Sai." _

_"You said you wanted to spend some more time with me." _

_"Being your personal model was not what I had in mind, Sai." Sakura commented dryly. "You're just lucky it's festival day." _

_Sai looked up at her once again. "Why?" _

_"Because you wouldn't catch me in a kimono otherwise." Sakura finished, before looking back up at the sky through the veil of leaves above her. _

_"So that means I'm lucky, then?" _

_Sakura gave a small sigh, trying not to fidget. "A year or so ago, you wouldn't have asked me to come and help you even if I were the last piece of art inspiration on earth. What made you choose me now?" _

_"You aren't as ugly as you used to be." _

_Sakura gave a small laugh and a smile, which Sai thought brightened up her face, since she rarely smiled anymore. But her sad beauty was mysterious and intoxicating as well. _

_"Thanks Sai." _

_Sai wondered if she truly did know he was lying when he called her Ugly. She knew now, at least. It wasn't easy for him to joke or tease. Shinobi didn't do those type of things, after all. But Sakura was helping him to learn. _

_She'd taught him the proper way to smile. Of course, he'd only ever done so once before. He liked his fake smile better. It was easier to do, and it didn't make his cheeks hurt to force it back down again. _

_Sakura's smiles were contagious. And he was trying to keep himself from being infected, thank you very much. _

_"And I suppose the fact that I'm the only girl who still talks to you without either fainting or glaring in your general direction might have something to do with it." _

_Sai looked up from his sketch once more to talk to her. "The only one who glares is Ino." _

_"You _did_ insult her on your first date." _

_Sai gave one of his fake smiles, "That dress _did_ make her look fat." _

_"That's my best friend you're talking about, Sai. Don't make me come down there and kick your ass."_

_"I'd prefer it if you didn't. I'd never get you back in the same position again. The picture would be ruined." _

_Sakura merely turned to look at him once again, tearing her gaze from the clouds above her. Sai saw the worried look on her face, and he wondered at it. What was she worried about. _

_"You're scrunching up your already abnormally sized forehead. Don't make it look worse than it already is. I'm retouching and shortening your forehead as it is. I do want to actually make the picture _look_ like you." _

_"Sai, why is it that every time you come back from a mission, you never want to talk to anyone? I know that you aren't here a lot, but I think it would be nice if you talked to people." _

_"I talk to you." Sai looked back down at his sketch, taking up his brush again. He heard Sakura shift on the branch and he looked up, ready to tell her to stop moving. But he stopped, because she was watching him with a sad smile, and her eyes were glistening with tears. _

_"I know." She whispered. "And…thank you." _

_"Hm?" _

_"For talking to me." _

_Sai didn't know what to really say. He just blinked, before going back to his picture. "Stay like that Sakura, I think I can still fix the picture after you moved." _

_He heard her laugh softly, and he felt the corners of his mouth tug. He hurriedly reached for one of his paint jars so that she could not see his face. _

_Or the small smile that graced it. _

Sai began flipping through his sketchbook thoughtfully, his eyes strangely troubled.

There was the picture he'd drawn of Sakura healing a little boy's scraped knee. She hadn't even known he was sketching her. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, and her smile was comforting as the little boy sat in her lap, trying to act tough like a big boy.

Then was the picture of her sparring with Kakashi and Yamato. She had a look of grim determination on her face, as she dodged Kakashi's kunai, her own hand gripping a shuriken. Her hair was blowing wildly, but it did not hide the brilliance of her eyes.

A few more pictures of Sakura doing menial tasks: eating ramen at Ichiraku with Konohamaru and his team, walking down the street with groceries in her hand as she stopped to chat with her next-door neighbor, placing a small cup of milk on her porch for the stray cat she'd adopted, slumped over her desk as she tried to gain a few extra hours of sleep between shifts at the hospital…

And finally, the picture Sai was most proud of.

She was lying on the tree branch, her crimson kimono flowing around her. One leg was bent at the knee as she lay on her back. She was using her arm as a pillow, since she had been looking up at the clouds. But she had turned her face to look at him, with those sad eyes. Sakura blossoms floated gently through the air on an errant breeze.

She looked so different…he'd never seen her in a kimono before.

But it looked nice on her. He'd almost been tempted to ask her to go on one of those horrendous 'dates' that all the girls thought were so special and important. But he hadn't wanted her to think there was anything other than friendship on his mind. He didn't want to ruin the one strong bond he believed he actually possessed.

Sai looked up at the sky, frowning slightly as the sun gleamed overhead. He wondered if maybe, just maybe, he loved her. The way Naruto and Kakashi loved her. She was precious to him, like the sister or mother that he never had.

"Sai, Tsunade-sama has a mission for you." Yamato landed on the branch beside him. He looked down at the sketchbook curiously, but Sai was already closing it as he stood.

"Alright."

* * *

Sasori, Deidara, Itachi, and Kisame were seated away from the others, as usual. The uncomfortable glares and silences were common now, and they had grown immune to them. Or, at least, everyone but Deidara had.

The Konoha shinobi greeted them with bland politeness and cold civility—when they were feeling generous. There was always, however, that spark of distrust and hatred in their eyes.

Of course, this didn't disconcert the Akatsuki in the least, save for Deidara who seemed to take it to heart that Sakura's friends were being so rude to him.

"Oh stop it, Deidara. You look like you're about to cry." Kisame snapped, taking a bite of his fish that they'd managed to get for their evening meal. It was thin and not as good as he had hoped. Sakura had always known how to make even the scrawniest of fish taste good, with whatever that strange ingredient she always cooked it with was.

He gave a small, feral grin when he remembered that the Konoha shinobi didn't even have any fish. _Akatsuki: 1. Konoha twerps and the sand chick: absolutely freakin' nothing. _

"I'm not going to cry, yeah!" Deidara defended, snorting. He looked back over Kisame's shoulder at the Konoha shinobi. "It's just, we're partners in this, aren't we? We all have to work together to get back Sakura-chan."

"Just 'cause we're working together doesn't mean we have to _like_ each other." Kisame grumbled as he took another bite of his fish, chewing ravenously. "You suck at cooking, Deidara."

Deidara huffed. "You didn't have to eat it, Kisame. But still, shouldn't they at least be a little more hospitable? I heard that the Konoha shinobi were nice, yeah." _I thought they were all like Sakura. _

Sasori gave a small sigh. "Deidara, the Konoha shinobi do not like us. It is merely something you will have to accept. Not everyone is as kind-hearted as Haruno-san."

"But they were her friends, yeah!" Deidara began. "Shouldn't they be just like her—"

"Don't get too attached to them, Deidara." Itachi commented coldly. He was sitting a few feet away, his back to them all as he meditated. "When we rescue Sakura we will take Naruto Uzumaki back with us and extract his Kyuubi."

Deidara shot him a surprised glance, which was echoed by Kisame.

Sasori nodded slowly. "This is considering that Haruno-san is too weak to protect them, I suppose. But we will still be outnumbered, Itachi."

"Tomokazu will have his sound-nin guarding his base, no doubt." Itachi answered back indifferently, as they watched his back.

"We will merely leave the sound-nin to the Konoha shinobi. That will wear away their chakra and strength and keep them from being more than a minor nuisance."

Deidara's eyes flickered as he nodded slowly, remembering the few moments the Konoha shinobi had spoken with him and actually seemed to enjoy his company. He had felt as if he were finally seeing a small bit of Sakura's past, and he had wanted to treasure that. But he knew the Akatsuki Leader's orders when he heard them. He knew that Itachi would get the Kyuubi no matter what cost.

And as long as they rescued Sakura, Deidara did not care about anything else.

"What of your brother?" Kisame grunted.

"Perhaps Tomokazu can rid me of that nuisance before I kill him."

* * *

Neji watched the backs of the Akatsuki from where he stood. They all had their backs to him, preventing him from reading their lips. He knew if he activated his Byakugan they would merely stop talking. He heard a soft murmur, but he could not make out anything they said.

He clenched his hands as he took a bite of his rations.

_I don't trust them. No matter if Naruto seems to or not. He was always an idiot. If he wants to trust them blindly then I will not stop him. But I will keep him and the others from doing anything foolish. _

Tenten sat down beside him, and he looked up at her as she smiled.

"We have the first watch, Neji." She munched her own food cheerfully.

Neji nodded curtly. "Alright." He saw the sadness with which Tenten regarded him. He knew she wanted him to be a bit kinder, but he couldn't. Besides, he was merely returning the coldness she had given him when they had met up again after he had knocked her unconscious and went for Sakura.

It was as if she were angry with him. But why should she be? She had merely been a hindrance to his mission. He had thought that as his former teammate, she would know better then to stand between him and his goal.

"Just don't fall asleep." She whispered, before standing and walking back to the others. He felt a twinge of regret as his cold attitude, as well as his cold thoughts. Tenten deserved more respect. She was a wonderful shinobi and his teammate. He should be more kind.

She had always been there for him; of course she would feel betrayed when he left her. He blinked for a second, as he remembered what Sakura had told him. Of how Sasuke had left her, knocked out on a bench. Her eyes had been filled with tears and pain as she remembered being betrayed and abandoned by someone she trusted and cared for.

Neji gave a small sigh. "Tenten?"

She looked up from where she sat with the others.

"Would you like to come with me to secure the area?" Neji saw her smile, and he knew he had done the right thing. She was his friend, and he cared for her. He would have to stop being so cold, like Sakura had told him. If he wanted respect and friendship, he would have to earn it.

_Very well, Sakura. I won't let Tenten feel as you did, when Sasuke betrayed you. I will make sure that Tenten knows that I am… _

_…sorry… _

* * *

Tomokazu gave a small sigh as he leaned his cheek on his hand and gazed at Sakura. She was truly an interesting young woman. But he knew he was winning. He had the high ground, this time. He wouldn't come out of this session empty-handed.

"You haven't spoken a word to me yet, blossom."

"Talking is overrated."

Tomokazu gave a small sigh. "Now, now, blossom…calm yourself."

He saw her turn to look at him, her jade eyes glinting from beneath her rosette bangs. A dangerous and wary glint. But also an annoyed one, as if she didn't really want to hear him talk anymore.

"This has gone on too long, blossom." Tomokazu laced his fingers together. "You know that I can fix everything that has happened to you, don't you? If you tell me the jutsu and come with me, you'll be able to visit Konoha again. Frequently, if that's what you wish."

"Oh?"

"Konoha is in the process of agreeing to an alliance with Sound, now that I've killed Orochimaru and I am in control, of course."

"Sound?" Sakura looked around the dingy room. "I should have known. Who else but Orochimaru has such a fine eye for décor?"

Tomokazu smiled at her sarcasm. "Orochimaru is dead, my dear blossom."

"Why would you sign an alliance with Konohagakure?" Sakura asked warily. Her eyes kept drifting to his hands, as if waiting for him to strike out at her with something. That merely made Tomokazu's smile widen.

"Because once I kill Itachi Uchiha and the rest of the Akatsuki I will be the strongest shinobi in the world. Do you know what that means, blossom?"

"You have an inflated ego?"

Tomokazu gave a small laugh. "Once again, your wit amuses me. No, my dear. It means that I will need allies for when I begin the next Great Ninja War."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Why would you want that?"

Suddenly he was beside her, the cold steel of his kunai caressing her cheek. He bent his lips down to her hear. "Tell me, blossom, does the sight and smell of blood excite you?"

"N-no, you sick freak." Sakura whispered. She felt a small flash of pain as the kunai cut into her cheek in a neat, straight line. She felt the blood well up and begin to fall as her cheek throbbed.

"Well it excites me, my dear." Tomokazu spoke darkly, licking the corner of the cut. Sakura flinched at the touch of his tongue against her cheek, lapping up the crimson liquid.

"And I can never get my fill of blood and death." Tomokazu continued, trailing the kunai down her arm now, making a small, continuous red line as he went. Sakura's eyes flickered at the pain, but she did nothing else as the crimson droplets ran down her arm and splattered onto the ground.

"And if I fulfilled my need with you, my dear, I'd end up bleeding you dry." Tomokazu chuckled, nuzzling her jaw. Sakura just tried to ignore him as she felt the sticky warmth of the blood cover her.

Her entire right cheek was covered in it, as well as her right arm. The droplets no longer made a sick sound as they hit the stone floor, but a soft drip as they landed in the growing puddle of blood.

"You're sick…" Sakura whispered again. It was the only thought that was running through her mind.

She felt another hot pain as he began carving into her other arm. This was not a straight line, however. He actually seemed to be _drawing_ something. She craned her neck to look down at her arm, but all she could see was a mess of red liquid, running across the kunai blade and his fingertips as he held it steady so he could work.

He seemed to be completely entranced in his work.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked shakily.

"Isn't it amazing, blossom, how beautiful your name looks in blood?"

Sakura stared down at him incredulously, her jade eyes wide in revulsion and fear. "What…did you just do?" She asked weakly.

"I seem to be forgetting your name lately, Sakura." Tomokazu smirked, eyes flashing darkly. "But I've finally come to understand something."

"What is that?"

"I don't love her anymore."

Sakura blinked, shivering unconsciously as he breathed against her neck, while the searing pain continued in her arm. "Nani?"

"She's merely an annoying figure of my past, something to hold me back. I have to look past her now. I have to look at the future." He began twirling her hair with his free hand. "_Our_ future, Sakura."

Sakura breathed in shakily. "S-stay away from me…"

"And so I have to remind myself that it is _you_, not her, who is here with me now. Because she is nothing now. She must remain nothing if I am to be strong. I cannot have her entering my thoughts anymore."

_Oh god… _

"And you, Sakura…" He gave a small sigh against her clean cheek, his breath hot against it. She looked so pale, probably because of the blood loss. "I will make sure that you let go of Itachi Uchiha."

"Get away from me." Sakura whispered weakly, blinking a few times. She had lost so much blood…she felt so weak. If she had been in her normal, stable condition, this blood loss wouldn't be affecting her so much, since she could mend it easily. But with no chakra, and the strain on her body internally from Tomokazu's jutsu, she literally felt herself begin to fade away.

_Is this what a dying person feels like? I've never…I've never been hurt so bad before when I couldn't fix it. I feel helpless. Is this how non-medical shinobi feel when they're injured? _

"He will become nothing to you, Sakura. I will make him into nothing." She heard Tomokazu whispering in her ear. Her vision began fading, but she forced herself to stay awake.

"And then you will feel nothing when I kill him." He hissed.

"I will…feel…" _You can't stop me. I will never become an emotionless bastard. Never. I will never forget my friends and those dear to me. Nothing you say or do can stop that. _

_I am strong. _

"Seeing you like this, Sakura…" She felt him run his hand up her sides, but she was so weak, she couldn't even open her eyes.

"You have no idea what it does to me…"

His fingers felt so hot against her skin. Perhaps it was merely because her skin was as cold as death. Or rather, a death soon to come…

"When he comes for you, Sakura…I will take you and make you mine…"

_Itachi… _

"And I will erase him from your mind forever."

_…don't let me forget… _

She let out a small groan as she fell into darkness.

* * *

Iruka was walking down the street, Konohamaru in tow. The Chûnin in front of him was grinning as he looked back at his old teacher. "Come on, Iruka-sensei. You promised to take me out to ramen."

"Hai, hai." Iruka smiled absently as they began walking. They passed the Yamanaka flower shop, and Iruka stopped as he looked inside the open doorway.

Ino's mother was arranging a vase of flowers on the counter, with an attentive Atsuko watching her, completely absorbed in the colors of the flowers. He reached up and touched one of the flowers: a rose. He jerked back with a small exclamation of surprise as he sucked on his finger.

Yamanaka-san looked up in surprised at his yelp. "What is it, Atsuko-chan?"

He pointed a finger accusingly at the rose.

Yamanaka-san gave a small laugh as she ruffled Atsuko's hair. "Some flowers look pretty, Atsuko, but they can hurt people too. You have to be careful when handling those types of flowers. Let's go get you a band-aid."

Iruka watched them head into a back room, and his gaze drifted to the flowers in the vase, the rose in particular. It wasn't a red one, but a pale pink.

_Some flowers do look pretty, Atsuko-chan. But Yamanaka-san is right…sometimes they hurt people. _

_They don't mean to, but they do. _

The flower he was thinking of was different then the one sitting on the table, although they did share one commonality.

The color pink.

He looked around the town of Konoha, which was settling into the evening as the sun began setting behind the tree line. The people seemed a bit disheartened these days. Iruka had seen the flowers that had appeared on the steps of the Haruno household, as well as the sympathetic and sad looks when people passed it.

Sakura had meant so much to Konoha.

And now she was gone, and they were all suffering.

But this was no small prick on the finger that would be gone in a few days.

No, this wound would stay for a very long time. And it would hurt for a long while. It would hurt and throb and bleed until there was no one left who remembered the cheerful, pink-haired kunoichi who had taken Konoha and it's inhabitants by storm and proved to them that, just maybe, there was a kindness out in the world where they only saw darkness and hate.

_I never told you this, Sakura, but I was always proud of you the most. _

_I always knew Naruto would become great, but you proved to me and the rest of Konoha that it does not take a prodigy or a demon to achieve greatness. _

_You became strong on your own, and you never let that strength get in the way of who you were. You were never cocky or confident. You always lent a helping hand, even when it was of an inconvenience to you. _

_I am proud to have been your teacher. _

_We're all proud. _

**(A/N: Well? Someone helped me to realized that I didn't have much Sai at all in this story, and since he is one of Sakura's teammates, I suppose he gets a say in it. (And I like him, so I wanted him to have a part in here :) **

**Tomokazu is just as crazy as usual, although he now seems to have gotten over his old love Masako and is focused on just Sakura. He scares me sometimes. **

**Good thing Neji is finally thinking clearing. He needs to see that Tenten cares for him and stop being such a shortsighted baka. He can be just like Sasuke sometimes. -sigh- **

**And now Itachi has decided he's going to let the Konoha shinobi get killed so he can get the Kyuubi. How can you be so heartless Itachi? ARGH! **

**Have you noticed that almost all of Sakura's scenes have her falling unconscious? I did it slightly unintentionally, but I guess it shows how she's falling in and out of reality the entire time everyone else is bickering and fighting over having to work together to save her. (get over it people!) Also, I suppose it stresses all that crazy torture Sakura's been put through. I mean, I think I hinted about how she was being tortured more than the few times we've actually read about it. It must be straining and hard to stay conscious after THAT. **

**Well, until the next chapter… **

**See ya! **

**Lady Hanaka**

**Question: If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?)**


	21. Chapter 20: Sakura's Love

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still don't own Naruto. But wouldn't it be cool if I got a quarter for every time someone said Tomokazu? I'd be RICH! Moowahaha! My plans for world domination are finally starting to take effect!

**(A/N: …well, I know I didn't have Itachi getting angry in this last chapter like I said he would, but I was writing it and then I was like "hey, I don't want to put that scene in until the next chapter!'. And so, here we are. Enjoy.)**

**Chapter 20**

**Sakura's Love: Sharingan vs. Sharingan!**

Kiba stopped on the branch, sniffing the air. Beside him, Akamaru yipped in excitement, his tail wagging slightly. He crouched low, his nose running along the bark, before he looked back at Kiba with another bark.

Kiba closed his eyes for a moment, as a small smile spread across his face. He recognized that scent. And so did Akamaru.

_We're coming, Sakura. And this time, we're getting you back. You aren't going with those Akatsuki. _

_Even if it means we have to drag you away._

Shino stood beside him, listening to his kikai as they relayed a message to him.

The two shinobi were both silent for a moment, before they turned to each other.

"We're close." They spoke in unison. Kiba grinned, and there was a small smile that could be seen from behind Shino's collar.

The cool air of nightfall whistled around them. It was a calm, cool night. Even the stars were visible, glistening bright against the pitch black of the sky. A perfect night for a shinobi attack. There was no need for excess light when you could guide yourself by the light of the moon and stars.

"Let's go tell the others." Kiba jumped off of the limb, racing back to the camp.

* * *

Itachi watched the night sky, his gaze cool and calculating. Kisame was snoring softly beside him while Sasori and Deidara slept a bit quieter a few feet away.

_Soon, Tomokazu…soon you will see what happens when you take what is _mine Itachi thought darkly, his lips becoming a thin line of irritation as he frowned. He leaned against the tree, one hand inside of his Akatsuki cloak. His fingers curled around the cold steel of a kunai, a comfort in the sweltering heat of the cloak.

It was strange, how his coat was scorching yet he would freeze if he took it off. The weather was anything but warm. Itachi hated cold weather. There was no significance to cold and snow. Winter was harsh and commanding. Even the strongest of shinobi could be killed by it.

Perhaps it frightened him, slightly.

To know that even the strongest shinobi in the world was subject to the will of nature…

_And after I kill you, I will take the Kyuubi. Then, my goal will be complete._

_And Sakura will continue to heal my eyes._

_Everything will be as it should be._

Itachi felt the small ache in the back of his head, due to the strain he was putting on his Sharingan. He hated the way his eyes always pained him after he used the Sharingan now. It was as if after Sakura's healing they were raw and weak, like the skin over a newly healed wound.

_Soon._

Itachi was by nature a patient person. To be a shinobi one must lie in wait for hours to remain unnoticed, sometimes. He was used to waiting to get what he wanted. He'd waited years for the Kyuubi.

But when it came to getting Sakura back from Tomokazu…

Itachi felt like an impatient little child whose favorite toy had been taken away because he'd been playing too rough.

"They're all asleep."

Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance as he turned to look at the person standing on the limb beside him. Crimson met crimson.

Itachi's eyes trailed down to the sleeping forms of Sasuke's comrades to his own partners. "Was there something you wished to say, or did you merely wish to dazzle me with your talent for tactful observation?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously as well, as he looked at his older brother. He couldn't stand the smirk on that face, or the Sharingan blessing those killer's eyes. He wanted to rip them out with his own hands. He wanted to kill Itachi.

And now was his chance.

"There is no one to stop me from killing you, Itachi." Sasuke hissed.

Itachi stood slowly, watching his brother with an air of boredom. "I don't have time for you."

"I'll kill you this time, Itachi."

"You aren't strong enough, little brother." Itachi smirked. "And you will never become strong enough to kill me. Your hate is weak and faded."

"I will never stop hating you." Sasuke ground out from between clenched teeth. "Never."

"You aren't strong enough to kill me because you didn't follow my directions. You went to Orochimaru for power when he could give you none." Itachi's voice was slightly amused from behind his Akatsuki collar.

"How pitiful."

Sasuke let out a snarl as he lunged.

Itachi grabbed his wrist with one hand, his kunai in the other as he slammed Sasuke into the tree behind him. Sasuke let out a small growl as the bark scratched against his back and the air was knocked out of him. His shoulder was still slightly sore from his previous encounter with his brother.

_Still couldn't even…touch him…_Sasuke's inner mind berated him, laughing condescendingly.

_What good _are_ you, Sasuke?_

Itachi looked down at his brother, his gaze scathing. How could his brother have grown so little in strength over the past few years? Surely he had inspired him enough to become strong. What else did he need?

The moon came out from behind its veil of clouds in that moment, glinting off of Sasuke's headband. Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized the color.

"Where did you get that?"

Sasuke's eyes were two burning coals, glaring at him with as much hatred as he could muster, but they dimmed slightly at Itachi's abrupt question. He blinked, before he realized what Itachi was talking about.

"Sakura gave it to me." Sasuke grunted. He saw something flicker in Itachi's eyes, something akin to jealously and annoyance. It made something inside of Sasuke smirk, as his own eyes narrowed in triumph.

"Or didn't you _know_ that Sakura gave it to me? She's wearing mine as well, Itachi. Does that bother you? You bastard." Sasuke spat. "Does it bother you that the woman you raped is wearing something of _mine_?"

Itachi's grip on Sasuke tightened as he stared at him. Sasuke gave a small gasp as blood trickled down his neck. He couldn't help but give a smirk, even through the pain, as he watched his brother's usually emotionless eyes fill with anger. Or perhaps he was just imagining such a thing? Itachi was never anything other than cold and emotionless.

Itachi bent his head near Sasuke's ear, as Sasuke continued to struggle in his grip as Itachi's kunai dug into the skin of his neck.

"So she wears your headband, does she brother?"

…

"And you gave her yours?"

…

Itachi smirked slightly as his grip on Sasuke tightened, and the blood slowly dripped off of the kunai blade.

"But that's all she has ever given you. Because whatever it is that you wanted from her, I've taken it." Itachi watched as Sasuke let out a strangled growl, and it made Itachi smirk even more, as a strange pleasure filled him, knowing that he had gotten the one thing from Sakura that Sasuke would never experience.

No one would.

Because anyone who tried would die.

He would make sure of it.

"Does that make you hate me, brother? Does is strengthen that weak revenge of yours?" Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I'll…kill…you…" Sasuke gasped out, his Sharingan blazing.

Itachi stared down at his little brother, ignoring the small pitter-patter of the blood droplets as they fell onto his hand. "A corpse can't kill me, Sasuke." And his hand tightened on the kunai as he pressed down to cut the life out of his little brother.

"Hey _you_! Get back!" Kiba growled out as he, Akamaru, and Shino jumped onto the limb. Suddenly everyone was awake, jumping to their feet, weapons in hand.

"What the hell!?" Ino yelled out as they all got a good look at the scene in front of them. "What's going on?" _Sasuke! What the hell were you thinking? Did you attack _Itachi?

"Oi." Kisame grunted, eyes going from the Konohad shinobi to Itachi. "Don't waste your energy on the punk, Itachi." _We really don't have time for that idiot's revenge plots. He's slowing us all down._

Shikamaru eyed the two Uchiha, wondering if he needed to use his shadow possession on them. _Sasuke…stop being so troublesome. _He already knew that Sasuke was probably the one who had attacked Itachi. Itachi wasn't the type to just jump into something like that.

_What a drag…_

Itachi dropped Sasuke as if he were an annoying speck of dust on his sleeve. He turned to the Konoha shinobi, who liked as if they were about to attack him.

"Keep my brother in line, Kyuubi." His eyes met Naruto's. "Or else I will indeed be the last Uchiha."

Sasuke glared at him. "You couldn't kill me! I would have stopped you, you bastard!"

"Yeah, cause you seemed to be doing such a good job of it when we woke up." Kisame sneered. "Just shut up little punk and let the rest of us do what we came here to do. You're just being annoying."

Naruto watched the Akatsuki, then Sasuke. Kisame was right; they didn't need this right now. They needed to get Sakura-chan back! Naruto then blinked as he realized that Shino and Kiba were back. "Hey, what's gotten you guys so excited?"

Kiba's grin was feral as he showed off his canines. "We're almost there. Two hours tops before we reach 'em."

"I sent my kikai to the outskirts of the Sound base after Kiba translated Akamaru's findings to me," Shino began as everyone exchanged excited smiles. "The base is heavily guarded. It seems to be a…castle."

"Orochimaru's old castle." Sasuke huffed, his eyes still drifting murderously to his brother, before he looked at the others. "It has certain genjutsu and other traps all around the perimeter." _Dammit. I was so close. I_ know _I could have killed him this time._

"My kikai are unaffected by genjutsu." Shino answered back. "You needn't worry that they would be tricked by something like that."

"The question is are those traps still there after Orochimaru's death, or did Tomokazu undo them?" Temari commented loftily.

"She is right," Sasori nodded as he spoke softly. "Tomokazu always scoffed at the precautions we put upon our own Akatsuki bases. No doubt he would undo the ones upon Orochimaru's."

"But he's also a tricky, insane bastard, yeah." Deidara growled out. "And a genius."

"That's a dangerous combination." Tenten muttered under her breath.

"Which means," Deidara continued. "That he could leave them up, believing that we would think he had taken them down, yeah."

"Argh!" Choji rubbed his head. "All this logical thinking is making my head hurt."

"Alright," Shikamaru broke in. "We need to go back to the '_heavily guarded_' part. How many do you think, Shino? Could your kikai give us an exact number?"

Shino gave a small shrug as he turned and whispered into his sleeve. After a small while he nodded. "The base itself runs for a few miles all around. There are at least three Sound guards every fifty feet. Then there are a few scouts in the forest around them, for a mile or so out from the base."

The others nodded, as Shikamaru gave a small sigh. "Ok…let me think…"

"He probably has a lot of men inside as well." Lee commented. "And traps."

"We'll need a group to go after Sakura while the others distract the shinobi." Neji said coolly.

Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose. _I can't think if you keep talking! Che. Troublesome…_

"Tomokazu has probably trained his shinobi a bit more efficiently than Orochimaru." Sasori answered back calmly. "Or at least a small number of them. The rest will most likely be normal Jônin level."

"You make it sound so simple." Ino rolled her eyes. "_The rest will most likely be normal Jônin level_. Some of us aren't Akatsuki, thank you very much."

Kisame gave a small smirk. "The little blonde is right. We can't expect the Konoha weaklings to handle anything other than the _weak_ guards."

"That's not—" Ino began, but was cut off by Naruto.

"We'll handle our own." Naruto answered back seriously. "Some of us are stronger than you think."

"The Kyuubi won't be much of a help to you there, boy." Kisame's eyes narrowed. "Tomokazu's Akatsuki. He knows all about your demon."

"Enough!" Shikamaru yelled out, rubbed his aching head. "I can't concentrate with all of your bickering."

There was a small moment of silence as they watched him. He gave another small sigh. "Alright, we'll need a core group to go and rescue Sakura, while the others keep everyone else distracted and get us a way out."

"I'm going after Sakura!" Ino broke in.

"M-me t-too." Hinata whispered. All of the Konoha shinobi and Temari clamored to tell Shikamaru of their intentions to save Sakura.

"Tomokazu will be close to Sakura, yeah." Deidara answered. "He's Akatsuki. He won't be easily defeated. It would be best if the Akatsuki went in the core group." _And then we can get Sakura-chan out of there before she realizes that you were there too. It will be easier for all of us._

"But—" Ino began.

"Deidara is right." Naruto nodded slowly, much to everyone's surprise. "Not many of us are strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Akatsuki. And Tomokazu seems to be an extremely strong member of the Akatsuki, or so it seems, if you _all_ want to go after him. That means he's stronger than most of _you_, ne?"

Sasori, Deidara, and Kisame all stared at him stoically, as if not wanting to answer.

"That means that some of us are going to need to go with you as well."

"Then you may come, Kyuubi."

Everyone turned to look at Itachi. He was watching them all with an air of boredom and annoyance. His crimson eyes glinted from behind his raven colored bangs as he continued. "The Kyuubi may come, as well as my little brother, if he would wish. And perhaps the Hyuga." He nodded at Neji.

_Then I will be able to take the Kyuubi with me without having to fight off the others. _

_Tomokazu can kill my idiot brother and save me the trouble. _

_And he can kill the Hyuga as well, since he seems to be getting on my nerves._

Sasori nodded. "That would be an acceptable group." _I know what you're doing, Itachi. It will be good to separate them now. And you couldn't make it look suspicious by just taking Sasuke and Naruto. They'd know something was up._

"I'm going too." Temari answered back readily. "If you need the strongest shinobi, then you'll need me." It wasn't a boast, just a cold fact as she gripped the edge of her fan. "Besides, if his kekkei genkai comes from touch, my long-range attacks will be more effective."

Deidara smiled. "She's right, yeah."

"Whatever." Kisame grunted.

"Very well." Itachi answered back. _I didn't kill you the first time. Perhaps I will get the chance now. _He remembered the pain in his arm from Sakura's attack on him in Stone after she'd learned he had killed Temari. _Or perhaps I will merely let Tomokazu do it._

"Alright then." Shikamaru nodded, although he could see that all the others had wanted to go and save Sakura too. "But maybe not all of the Akatsuki should stay in the core group. If Tomokazu has a group of elite shinobi, we will need at least one of you, since we will be hard pressed with the other Jônin."

The Akatsuki looked at each other, seeming to have a silent conversation. Then there was a small growl as Kisame shouldered Samehada. "What the hell, I'll do it. At least I'll get to kill more shinobi then the rest of you."

The Konoha shinobi could see a small smile on Sasori's face, and a smirk on Deidara's. Apparently the exchange between them had gone as all the other's had planned, save for Kisame.

"Alright." Ino cheered. "Let's go save Sakura!"

* * *

Sai and Yamato landed on the ground in front of the large base. The night air was cool, and the guards watched them suspiciously as they walked up to them.

Yamato merely nodded at them stoically, handing them a slip of paper as well as motioning to their headbands.

The guards begrudgingly let them inside the gates.

"We'll go in and get out as soon as possible." Yamato answered as they walked down the long hallway of the base. The guards they passed watched them warily. "I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."

Sai merely nodded, his eyes drifting from the guards to their hands, which lay on varying weapons. His own sword felt comforting upon his back.

"This mission is pointless."

Yamato turned to Sai in surprise. That was not a normal response from the young ANBU. Sai always took every mission seriously. He'd always said that his only point in life was to successfully complete missions.

Yamato gave a small smile as they followed their shinobi guard, who was leading them down another long hallway.

"You don't like politics, Sai?"

Sai shot Yamato a look that could almost be perceived as annoyed, but he was still so emotionless that it was hard to tell.

Yamato shrugged with a smile. "It's necessary. I know you'd rather be on an assassination mission, or perhaps _retrieval_." It was common knowledge among the ANBU that Sai had pleaded—as much as an emotionless Sai _could_ plead—with the Hokage to go and bring Sakura back himself.

"But political missions are just as important. We have to keep and strengthen alliances with other villages so that we are not seen as weak or isolated. This is the only way to keep another Ninja War from coming."

Sai gave a small grunt as they stopped in front of a door. The Sound shinobi opened it, beckoning for the two of them to walk inside.

"I don't trust these people." Was all Sai whispered to Yamato as they walked into the brightly lit room.

"You must be the shinobi ambassadors from Konohagakure. Welcome to Otogakure."

* * *

Sakura let out a small whimper as she awoke. Her entire body ached, although that was to be expected. As she shifted her arms she felt the dried blood crack off and the wounds began to bleed again.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, as fatigue and shame washed over her. She felt dirty, and not just because she hadn't bathed in god knows how long. No, the underlying filth that she felt couldn't be washed away with water and soap.

He had touched her.

_Kissed_ her.

Who knows what he'd done to her after she had fallen into unconsciousness? He'd been caressing her and whispering something into her ear. She looked down to see that her shirt was slightly askew and loose. Sakura could almost feel his hands tracing the skin of her stomach and chest.

_**"When he comes for you, Sakura…I will take you and make you mine…"**_

_**"And I will erase him from your mind forever."**_

Sakura leaned over the side of her chair and threw up. She hadn't eaten in a while, so it was merely bile that stung her throat and made her eyes water. Thankfully enough, the stench of the room did not change.

It had always reeked.

Sakura spit out the last remaining vestiges from her mouth, but the sour taste remained. She breathed in a few shaky breaths. _Oh god, please don't let him have raped me. Please…_

She couldn't tell if the pain between her thighs was due to a rape, or just from his kekkei genkai. She'd still been sore all over from that. And without her medical chakra she couldn't check to see if there was any damage.

_No…I don't think I can stand that again. Please…no…_

Sakura breathed in another deep breath, exhaling slowly. _I must keep calm. This is probably one of Tomokazu's sick tricks. He wants me to break myself. He wants me to believe that he's already raped me so that I will think everything is lost._

_I won't let him win._

Sakura looked down at her dirty and ragged clothes. Underneath was her body: beaten, bruised, and starved. Why was she being so optimistic and naïve?

He'd _already_ won.

She was going to die here.

_At least…at least I never told him anything…_

If there was one thing Sakura was proud of, it was that thought. She had been strong enough to keep him from learning anything. The knowledge of that jutsu would die with her.

_Maybe _I_ won, Tomokazu…since you didn't get everything you wanted._

_…but I'll still die._

_So perhaps it was just a stalemate._

* * *

The Sound-nin guards stood at their posts, their posture bored and lazy. They hated guard duty. What was the point? Who would be stupid enough to attack Sound anyway?

One of the guards lifted his hand to stifle a yawn. However the yawn never left his mouth as a clean blade ran along his throat, cutting the life out of him. He slumped to the ground with a soft thump.

"One down." Tenten whispered as she cleaned off her kunai. Another corpse lay beside her, as Choji stood up from his crouched position. He gave her a shaky smile as well. Choji had never liked cutting someone down from behind. He had always preferred a clean fight, face to face.

But this wasn't the time for that.

"There should be three guards in this area." Tenten whispered. "Two in the open, the other around the corner of the wall. I'll take care of him. Hide the bodies."

Choji nodded as he began dragging the two corpses into the shadow of the trees beyond the base. Tenten leaned against the wall, edging her way across the area. She pressed against the wall as she heard footsteps.

"Yeah. I'm glad you guys came to relieve us. We've been out here for hours."

Tenten's eyes widened slightly as she inwardly cursed. _Guard change. Dammit!_ Her hand curled around a kunai, but she placed it back into her pack as she waited for the guards to walk by.

As soon as she saw the sandaled foot of one of the guards she pulled on a small string, the metal glinting in the moonlight. The small trap she'd set at the corner sprang to life, shooting kunai at the guards from both sides. She heard an exclamation of surprise, before complete silence.

"Got 'em?" Choji asked.

Tenten nodded slowly. "Yeah. Get these bodies too. It seems there was a guard change. If they notice that they're missing more than a few guards they might get suspicious and come to check it out."

"Right." Choji nodded. "Do you think the others are doing ok?"

Tenten was silent for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Don't worry. Shikamaru planned for everything, didn't he? I mean, he made me set these traps beforehand just _in case_ there was a guard change. You don't have to worry."

It was Choji's time to be silent. He stared up at the sky, before blinking as he gave a small smile. "I guess so."

"Now we just get inside the wall and wait for Shikamaru's signal."

"Got it."

* * *

Hinata and Ino scaled the wall silently, running low across the ground. The castle loomed over them, casting an ominous shadow over the already darkened ground. Ino pressed herself hurriedly up against the wall, trying to remain in the shadows as much as possible as she dragged Hinata along with her.

Hinata swallowed, trying to wet her dry throat as she turned to Ino. She'd never seen her so focused and serious. Not even the few times they'd been sent on missions together. Perhaps this was merely because Ino's face had always been hidden behind an ANBU mask.

"Ino, d-do you think the others a-are almost in p-position?" Hinata whispered.

"I don't know."

"W-well, do you th-think—"

"Hinata, I don't _know_." Ino replied tersely.

Hinata blinked, biting her lip. She knew that Ino didn't mean to snap, she was just nervous. But it still hurt.

Hinata merely busied herself with activating her Byakugan, as she surveyed the area. "I-I can see a little w-ways inside. Th-there's a lot of g-guards."

Ino nodded seriously. "If they're as pathetic as their counterparts along the wall, we won't have any problem."

Hinata nodded. "Hai."

Ino sighed. "When is Shikamaru going to give us the signal do you think?"

"I don't know. I-Ino?"

"Hm?"

"D-do you think that S-Sakura-san is a-alright?"

Ino turned to look at Hinata, and her gaze was worried and doubtful herself, but she smiled confidently. "Come on, this is Forehead we're talking about. She's stubborn. She can handle anything."

Hinata surveyed the area once again with her Byakugan. She knew she should trust in Ino, but she'd heard the small waver of doubt in Ino's voice, and she knew that she didn't believe it anymore than Hinata did.

"Right."

* * *

Lee slammed his leg into the back of one of the guards, hearing it snap as the man fell twitching before he went still. Lee gave a small frown as he turned to see Shino dealing with the other two guards, covering their bodies with his insects, making them almost invisible against the shadowed ground.

"Do you think Sakura-san will be surprised when we rescue her?" Lee asked, trying to sound cheerful.

"Let us just hope we make it in time." Was all Shino said.

Lee frowned. "Do not be so pessimistic, Shino."

"I am merely being _realistic_, Lee."

Lee was quiet for a moment. "You don't think that Tomokazu would kill her, do you? She is supposed to know a great jutsu that he wants, correct? He cannot kill her if he does not know the jutsu!"

Shino turned to Lee, his emotion hidden behind his glasses and his collar.

"Lee, perhaps he has already persuaded her to tell him the jutsu."

Lee shook his head furiously. "Sakura-san would never betray her village like that. She would never give into torture and pain. She is strong."

Shino gave a small smile from beneath his collar, as he remembered all those times Sakura had saved him and the others from a desperate situation.

"Hai. She is strong indeed."

* * *

"This is boring." Kiba muttered, leaning against the wall of the building. Akamaru stood beside him, sniffing the air every once and a while.

"Don't be so troublesome, Kiba." Shikamaru answered back with a sigh. "This isn't supposed to be _entertaining_."

"At least they could throw some _real_ guards at us." Kiba answered back with a huff.

"We'll see strong shinobi soon enough, boy." Kisame grunted from where he stood a few feet away, looking out at the small expanse of lawn between them and the castle.

Kiba opened his mouth to answer back with something Shikamaru presumed was sarcastic, but Shikamaru stopped him with a small glare. Kiba shut his mouth, looking back across the area with his arms crossed.

Shikamaru looked out across the area himself, seeing the small glint of steel that was the signal from Tenten and Choji that they were in position. Another glint showed him that so were Lee and Shino, and Hinata and Ino.

Shikamaru gave a small sigh as he picked up one of his own kunai. He wrapped an exploding tag around the hilt, looking back at Kiba and Kisame. Kiba grinned as he noticed what Shikamaru was doing, and Kisame gave a small smirk as he gripped Samehada.

Shikamaru saw a few figures skim across the ground and he recognized them immediately. The core group were heading into their own position, waiting for the distraction that Shikamaru and the other groups would be providing.

"So it's starting, eh?" Kisame gave a small grunt. "Come on then, little Konoha shinobi. We have business to attend to."

Kiba nodded. "Yeah. And we can't be late for our meeting, now can we Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru sighed. _Why did I get put in a group with two idiots?_ He merely activated the exploding tag, throwing the kunai to the door of the castle. It stuck, and the tag fizzled out.

There was a moment of silence.

And then the earth shook and the air filled with smoke as the tag exploded.

Sixteen shinobi burst into action.

* * *

"Down the next hallway." Neji growled out as they rushed inside, letting the smoke hide their presence as sound shinobi rushed out of the castle. They heard the sound of fighting outside, but they all ignored it as they continued running.

"Come on, we can move faster." Naruto urged as he picked up his speed. "We have to get to Sakura-chan before this Tomokazu guy finds out we're here!"

"Too late for that." Temari muttered as they ran down the hallway Neji had indicated. The explosion had rattled the entire castle, echoing off of the stone.

"Dobe." Sasuke grunted under his breath at Naruto, who frowned.

The Akatsuki remained silent as they ran, unlike the Konoha shinobi and Temari.

The entire group stopped as they entered a hallway. About fifty sound-nin stood in front of them, all looking a bit more intimidating than the guards.

"Here we go." Naruto growled with a vicious grin, the very picture of the Kyuubi with that wild look in his eyes. "Time to fight."

"Just don't get in our way, yeah." Deidara joked as his eyes narrowed, and as one, they all lunged forward.

* * *

Sai and Yamato walked down the hall, a sound shinobi leading them to their rooms where they'd be spending the night. As they passed down a dark hallway, Sai felt a small tingling shoot through his body.

He felt as if he were missing something.

He looked slowly around the hall, trying to pinpoint what it was that was nagging at him.

He stopped for a moment as his eyes widened for a fraction of a second, as the chakra signature slowly became recognizable.

Yamato looked back at him in confusion. "What is it, Sai?"

Before Sai could answer, there was a large explosion. The Sound-nin let out a curse as they all fell to the ground as the earth shook. Sai and Yamato quickly stood, as the Sound-nin jumped up.

He stared at Sai and Yamato for a moment, before running down the hall. "Don't move! Wait here until someone can come and escort you to your rooms!"

Yamato blinked as the man ran out of sight, and then Sai began running down the hallway in the other direction.

"Sai!" Yamato ran after him. "What are you doing?"

"I sense her."

"Nani?" Yamato caught up to him, frowning. "Who do you sense? This had better be good Sai. We have to obey the Sound rules while we are here unless you want to break decorum."

"Sakura."

Yamato stared at him. "Excuse me? Why would Sakura Haruno be in Sound?"

Sai merely stopped in front of one of the doors. It was then that Yamato felt it too, the faint hum of Sakura's chakra. But it seemed to be fading even as they stood there.

Sai reached out a hand slowly, touching the door. His fingers trembled slightly. He couldn't let himself believe Sakura was just waiting for him on the other side of that door. It would be too much of a disappointment when he opened it and found nothing.

He merely slid the door open anyway, his face emotionless.

It did not remain that way, as the light from the hallway illuminated the room.

Sai heard Yamato let out an exclamation of surprised from behind him. But Sai didn't understand what he said right away, as his throat tightened and he let out a small gasp of his own.

"Oh my god."

**

* * *

**

**(A/N: So? Yeah, I'm the evil cliffhanger queen. I know how much all of you want to kill me right now. Sorry about that. The next chapter will hopefully be out soon. Of course, I don't know how soon 'soon' is…**

**Well, as you can see, everyone is here! Even Sai and Yamato seemed to have gotten themselves dragged into the horrible mess and confusion of this rescue mission. Oi. **

**Next chapter? The fight. **

**Yes, **_**the**_** fight. You all know what I'm talking about.**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka**

**Question: What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?**

**P.S. Sorry that I couldn't get this out on your birthday, AJ. Happy birthday though! It's still your birthday present...even if it IS a little late. :)**


	22. Chapter 21: Mine

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Naruto yet. But I do own this awesome battle scene!...at least I hope it's awesome...

**(A\N: Hm, well, here's the big fight chapter. I'm sorry that I couldn't get this to you sooner. I had hoped for sooner to be **_**sooner**_** but unfortunately my computer thought otherwise. So, after having to debug my computer, here's the chapter!**

**I know everyone is a little weirded out (and perhaps a bit irked) at the fact that Sai and Yamato found Sakura before everyone else. But isn't that just some wonderful irony? I mean, everyone else has been searching for her FOREVER and yet Sai and Yamato just happened to be there and find her first. I thought it was kind of funny…Oh well, enjoy!)**

**Chapter 21**

**Mine**

Sai merely stared. What else was there to do? He was frozen in place, even as he saw the pitiful figure engulfed in the darkness of the room. His feet felt like lead and his throat tightened. It was hard to breathe.

"Sakura." Yamato moved before Sai did. That irked Sai slightly, the fact that Yamato wasn't so affected by the scene that he could actually move. Maybe Yamato was just able to hide his own shock better. Or perhaps it was merely Sai's cowardice that had kept him from going to her.

The figure in the chair shifted slightly and the light from the doorway glistened a bit off of her hair. Sai's eyes widened slightly as he shook his head in confusion. Not pink. No, dark maroon. This couldn't be Sakura. It just couldn't.

"It is, Sai." Yamato answered back steadily as he knelt in front of Sakura's chair. Sai blinked. He hadn't even realized that he'd spoken aloud.

"_I'm what_?" Came a soft voice.

"Sakura," Yamato whispered as he turned to the young woman who had spoken. "What happened?" He reached out to help untie her.

"D…don't touch me, please…" She whispered in an almost pleading voice.

Sai was still staring at her. He couldn't move from the doorway. She was just sitting there, slumped against the rough ropes that held her to the chair. He couldn't see her face from behind her hair, but he knew that it was covered in blood. Her arm looked as if it had been butchered.

In fact, as he noticed with building horror, he could faintly see Sakura's own name carved into her tender pale flesh. If he had been thinking in his usual, cryptic artistic way, the sight of Sakura like this would have been slightly picturesque. Perhaps when he had been an unfeeling, uncaring person he would have sat down and sketched a picture of her pale body as the life drained out of her. It made her skin seem to glow, and she looked so fragile and delicate that he wanted to kiss her frail hand. But he didn't. He was afraid he might break her.

She coughed, and Sai saw blood spatter onto her pants. And suddenly he was ashamed of his earlier thoughts as he finally found the ability to move. He was beside her in an instant, trying to untie the ropes with fumbling, inept fingers. He'd never seen his hands shake like that before.

Sakura blinked as she felt the weight around her begin to disappear. "Don't—" She croaked out, but it was too late. She slumped forward as the rope's support left her. As her body fell she began to feel dizzy. She wasn't used to such fast movements after days of confinement. She thought she was going to fall onto the floor but she was merely held against a warm chest. Her face was stuck in the crook of someone's neck.

She breathed in and her nose was filled with many scents that she recognized instantly: green tea, the dusty smell of parchment, and a hint of ink and paint. Intermingling with that was the undeniable scent that was purely masculine and not completely foreign to her.

"…Sai?" She whispered against his skin.

Sai froze at the weakness in her voice. He looked over her head at Yamato, who was watching Sakura's form in concern.

"…were you sent to kill me?" She asked, although he could tell she wasn't really thinking much about what was happening. It was as if she were babbling, like her mind wasn't really putting two-and-two together.

"No." Sai answered back readily.

"Oh. That's good." He heard Sakura laugh softly, as she coughed into his neck. He felt warm liquid dot his skin, and he knew it was blood. He was afraid to move her and he didn't want to hold her too tightly because he knew how badly she was injured.

"She can't move. She seems to have been in this position for a long while. This would explain why her muscles are weak and aren't working right now." Yamato explained.

"Sakura, why are you here? Who did this to you?" Sai asked.

"Hm…" She gave a soft grunt. "I can't really tell you why I'm here…I don't know myself really…and who? Well, he's a sick bastard…" Sai and Yamato heard her give a harsh laugh.

"He's the Otokage."

Sai and Yamato watched Sakura with building horror. But Sai accepted this revelation rather well. He'd seen the predatory eyes of the Otokage. He'd felt disconcerted by him from the moment they'd entered the room. But to know now that he'd been sitting in the same room with the man who had done this to Sakura…

"How are your injuries, Sakura?" Yamato asked calmly.

"Oh. I think I'm dying." She answered back lightly. "Not a good way to die, I guess, but I suppose it could be worse." She gave another laugh against Sai's neck.

Sai and Yamato exchanged a glance over Sakura's head, then both looked back down at Sakura as she continued.

Yamato took some bandages out of his pack and began wrapping Sakura's arms.

"…I still have seals on my arms. Do you think you could take them off?"

Yamato hurriedly undid the seals, and he heard Sakura give a small sigh of relief as her chakra flooded through her body. He then continued bandaging her up. He saw the crisp white bandages turn red in only a few moments. The worst part was the way the wound on her right arm bled. The crimson stains made an uncanny resemblance of her name.

"…I can stand now, if you help me."

Sai slowly stood, supporting Sakura on one side. She leaned against him heavily, but she planted her feet squarely and managed to stand. "You never told me why you're here, Sai…Yamato…"

"We were sent as ambassadors to Otogakure from Konoha." Sai explained as he slowly led her to the door.

"Let's go." Yamato was standing at the door. "Something is happening out there and I don't want to get into the middle of it. We have to get Sakura back to Tsunade and the other medical shinobi in Konoha."

"Hai." Sai answered back readily.

"Konoha?" Sakura gave a sigh. "For a trial, I suppose."

Sai and Yamato merely looked at her in confusion. What was she talking about? Surely she didn't believe that she had been labeled a missing-nin by Tsunade? Tsunade would never allow such a thing.

Suddenly something in Sakura's eyes flashed as she looked up. "It can't be…"

"What Sakura?" Sai asked. But Sakura had already stepped away from him as she limped towards the door. She fell against it as she seemed to catch her breath. She looked back at Sai, then at Yamato who stood beside her. "Why are Naruto and the others here?"

"Nani?" Yamato began, before he sensed their chakra signatures as well and his eyes widened slightly. "Sai, grab Sakura. We have to get her to the others. If Ino is with them she can begin healing her."

"I…have chakra…" Sakura argued weakly.

"You are in no condition to use any of it." Yamato answered back readily. "You cannot even concentrate the chakra into your hands."

Sakura looked up at him and met his gaze squarely, but she blinked with a sigh of defeat. "…alright…I…" She bit her lip. What was she going to tell them? The Konoha shinobi weren't the only ones she had sensed. The Akatsuki were there. They had come…

But how could she tell Sai and Yamato that she couldn't leave with them? That she had to go back with the Akatsuki because she was a member now…She wasn't really thinking about how to break the news to Sai and Yamato, however. No, that had been pushed into the back of her mind by another, more important thought.

They'd come to rescue her.

_Itachi_ had come.

She had been completely certain that the Akatsuki would have nothing to do with her after she'd been captured. After all, it had merely showed that she was too weak to be a member.

_Everyone's here…_

_…they all still care? That's…surprising…_

Sai touched Sakura's arm and she flinched. He immediately took his hand away, his dark eyes glinting with worry.

"Sakura…I need to carry you to safety."

"I can walk." Sakura defended.

Yamato gave a small sigh. "We don't have time for this Sakura. There are enemy shinobi coming. We have to get you to Ino and the others. I suppose they followed your chakra signature here and found you that way. They were sent to come and retrieve you from the Akatsuki after all."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly as she turned to look at them. "…what?"

_You mean Tsunade-sama didn't send them to kill me? She…she sent them to _rescue_ me? After all that I've done…_

Sakura's eyes filled with tears but she blinked them back.

_I guess…I guess I have more friends then I thought._

"Sai…Yamato…we can't fight them. When you get back to the others tell them to run. There's a shinobi here who is too strong to fight."

"What do you mean when 'we' get back to the others?" Yamato asked, eyes narrowed slightly.

"I…I can't go with you." Sakura answered back feebly. _…I have to go back with my new teammates. I have to go back with the Akatsuki. _Sakura looked down at her hand and gave a tired smirk. _And I guess now is as good a time as any to get Orochimaru's ring._

_Who knows, maybe I can get Tobi's for him as well. Then he'd owe me._

Sakura almost let out a laugh at that thought. As if she could get close enough to Tomokazu to get his ring off.

"You're coming with us, Sakura. Tsunade-sama wants you back at Konoha. You are needed there. We want you back there with us." Sai answered back, staring steadily into her eyes. He tried to get her to see that his words were true. They all wanted their Sakura-chan back.

"I have to pick you up, Sakura. You cannot move fast enough on your own." Sai slowly scooped her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she gave a stiff nod. "Alright…" Her voice was soft and defeated. Sai tried not to notice the way her frail frame shook every time she took a breath, or the fact that there seemed to be so little of her now.

_Sai, Yamato, you two are making this difficult. What am I supposed to do now? I…I hope it's Deidara who finds me with you two. After all, he won't kill you to get me back, not if I ask him not to._

"How long has it been since you've eaten?" Sai asked as he and Yamato sped down the hallway.

"…long enough for me to forget what food tastes like." Sakura answered back wryly.

Sai's grip on her tightened and Sakura winced, knowing that she should answer him truthfully. He wasn't the type of person who liked jokes, even if they were made to lighten the mood. "I don't know how many days I've gone without eating."

That was the truth, at least.

Suddenly Sai stopped. So abruptly in fact, that Sakura was thrown fully into his chest, her nose ramming into his collarbone. She ignored the small throb, since it was hardly important at the moment. Her entire body felt like it was on fire, what was a little bruise compared to that?

Sakura still felt groggy and sleepy from the blood loss, but she awakened completely the moment she heard the person speak.

"You won't be taking my blossom anywhere, I'm afraid."

* * *

Itachi leaned to the right, hearing the sound-nin's blade whistle past him. He immediately went underneath the man's arm, ramming a kunai forward. The kunai punctured his chest as Itachi ripped it downward, ruining any chance the man had for medical assistance. There was no way he was getting up again.

Itachi ignored the blood all over his hands and cloak.

"Rasengan!"

Itachi turned to see the Kyuubi container slam his trademark jutsu into the stomach of the sound-nin he'd been fighting. The man let out a yell as he flew through the air and into the wall, making a large crater in the stone.

There was another large explosion and Itachi knew it was Deidara with his exploding clay.

"Move out of the way, Uchiha!" He heard a large shout and he turned to see his little brother jump up as a large gust of wind blew through the area, knocking several sound-nin backwards. All of them sported deep gashes from Temari's sickle wind.

Sasori and Neji seemed to be working well together. Sasori's puppets were herding the sound-nin closer into a tight circle, where Neji was using the Hyuga Clan's infamous gentle fist.

They finished off the last four sound-nin and the room became silent once more, save for their own labored breathing. Well, technically it was only the Konoha shinobi and the sand kunoichi who were breathing heavily. The Akatsuki merely cleaned off their weapons, trying to get a bit of the blood off of themselves.

"They just keep coming." Temari commented with a frustrated groan. "How many of these damn sound-nin are there?"

"Have you run out of chakra yet?" Sasori asked blandly.

Temari's eyes narrowed. "No."

Sasori shrugged. "Then let us continue."

"Can you sense Sakura-chan's chakra?" Naruto asked no one in particular. His eyes went around the large room, the floor now laden with bodies. He could hear the sound of battle outside of the castle, slowly moving inward.

A small chakra flare caught Itachi's attention as he recognized it. His hand went to his pack, picking out a kunai. His crimson eyes narrowed as he rushed out of the room without another word. He heard an exclamation of surprise from the others as they tried to keep up, but he ignored it.

Tomokazu…

He'd be sure to get there first.

* * *

"…S-Sai, Yamato….g-get out of here now." Sakura croaked out. She clutched Sai's shoulders, her fingernails digging into his skin. Sai ignored it, but he could not ignore the tremor in Sakura's voice.

If he hadn't seen the damage that had been dealt to Sakura he would not have understood how she could be so afraid of this man standing in front of them. But as he looked at the tall man he felt a small sliver of fear slide down his back, making him tense.

Yamato took a few steps back, getting closer to Sai and Sakura. His eyes never left Tomokazu, however.

"Really now, this is a bit upsetting, really. I offer an alliance with Konoha and what do I get in return? An attack upon my base." Tomokazu gave a cruel smile. "And you've tried to steal my prize."

"Go now." Sakura urged. "Drop me and _run._ He won't go after you if he has me." She hissed out the last part.

"No."

"Just _do_ it!"

Sai slowly placed Sakura against the wall as he took out a scroll. He gave Sakura a level look. "Sakura, you are my teammate. I will not leave you. I promised you that before, didn't I?"

"I remember…" Sakura whispered, throat clogged. It had been so long ago, when he'd made that promise. But it was all so familiar and clear to her now. He had sworn he would never let his teammates die. He would never leave them behind.

…because that was what Sakura had taught him.

"Don't…don't let him touch you." Sakura instructed. "His jutsu works through touch."

Yamato and Sai nodded.

_Why couldn't you just run?_ Sakura thought, eyes blinded with angry tears though none of them fell as Sai and Yamato both leapt forward.

* * *

Kisame leapt backwards with a feral grin as the sound-nin on the ground beneath him looked up in surprise. He did a few hand signs, before thousands of gallons of water gushed from his mouth.

The shinobi smart enough to realize what he was doing leapt onto the roof of the castle, weapons in their hands.

"Watch what you're doing Hoshigake!" Ino yelled out as she jumped up just in time to miss the torrents of water that swirled beneath her.

_Dammit that man doesn't care what happens to the rest of us, does he?_

"Be quicker next time, kunoichi." Kisame responded as he did another round of hand signs. Shark forms appeared in the water, charging towards the unfortunate shinobi who had not gotten out of the water yet.

Tenten landed beside Ino, cringing at the sound of the dying shinobis' screams.

The fight had now taken to the rooftops, since the entire building was surrounded by water. What surprised them most was the fact that the building was still standing. In fact, it didn't seem as if the water was having any affect on it whatsoever.

"It must be those jutsus and seals that Orochimaru placed upon the castle when he was still alive." Shikamaru commented lightly as he gave a small sigh. "This is so troublesome. I'd been hoping this Tomokazu guy had taken some of those seals off."

"Well, we can't be lucky all the time." Kiba grunted as he and Akamaru rushed across the roof, getting ready for their fang-over-fang jutsu.

Shino's kikai swarmed over several shinobi, while Shino himself took down quite a few.

Lee ducked as one of the shinobi kicked. He swiped the man's legs out from under him as he flipped through the air, blocking another kick from another shinobi with his arms. "Feel the fury of the power of youth!" Lee yelled out as he rushed headlong into another group of shinobi.

"Leave some for the rest of us!" Choji called out as he rolled across the roof, knocking down another group of shinobi.

Tenten jumped back into the fray from where she'd been standing with the others. She sent a shower of kunai and shuriken onto the group that Lee had been herding together.

Shikamaru surveyed the area. Everything seemed to be going well. They were holding back the shinobi reinforcements from inside. Now, with Kisame's jutsu, the shinobi inside couldn't get outside anyway, unless they wanted to destroy the base.

Suddenly there was a piercing scream and they all whirled around.

Hinata was surrounded by a group of shinobi, all of whom seemed a bit different then the normal sound-nin. She was bleeding heavily as one of them slammed their leg into her stomach, sending her flying off of the roof and into the water.

"HINATA!" Ino shrieked as she leapt off of the building and dove into the water.

"Tell those two damned kunoichi to get out of the water!" Kisame roared as he recognized the hand signs that the sound-nin were using.

_Tomokazu must have prepared them for my water. Damn!_

"Ino! Hinata!" Kiba tried to yell over the sound of clashing metal and grunts of pain. But Ino didn't seem to hear him. Or perhaps she was just preoccupied with hauling Hinata up to the surface.

"Get them out of the water now!" Kisame yelled again as he jumped down and landed on the surface, speeding towards the enemy shinobi. It was just then that the sound-nin finished their hand signs and the water, now mixed with blood, began to churn.

* * *

"Sai! Yamato!" Sakura screamed as the two went flying across the hall. The log wall that Yamato had created slowly fell down as Yamato struggled to stand.

Sai's ink tiger faded into the ground as he gave a small gasp of pain, massaging his shoulder. He wiped the blood from his lip as he turned to where Sakura was watching them, her eyes wide with fear and worry.

_No wonder Sakura was so afraid. We don't stand a chance against him. We've been dodging his attacks and yet we still get hit. He can do long-range fighting as well as short-range. _

Sakura watched as the two jumped up once more, getting ready to attack him again.

_Oh god…you idiots! Get AWAY! RUN! _

_Itachi! HURRY!  
_Tomokazu parried Sai's blade with his kunai, kicking him in the stomach. Sai went flying into the wall.

Yamato dodged Tomokazu's kick, grabbing a kunai as he thrust his arm forward. Tomokazu blocked it, parrying with his own. They began a small duel of rapid-fire kicks and punches as Sai struggled to stand.

_Too strong…_

_Too fast…_

_There's no way they can beat him. No way…_Sakura thought morbidly as she slowly pushed upwards with her arms, ignoring the sting as the wounds began bleeding again. She pushed herself into a standing position as she leaned heavily against the wall.

_If I can just try and…help…_

She let out a small exclamation of surprise as Yamato crashed into the wall next to her, creating a small indention. He let out a small groan as he slumped to the ground, eyes rolling into the back of his head as he began falling unconscious.

"Yamato!" Sakura steadied herself as she made her way across the few feet distance between them.

"Sakura!"

Sakura looked up at Sai's warning, as Tomokazu's shadow fell across Yamato's body. She reacted on instinct, throwing her own body over Yamato's. Maybe Tomokazu would stop from killing him if Sakura was in the way…maybe…

"SAKURA!"

She'd never heard Sai yell like that. His voice actually sounded panicked. That wasn't good. It meant Tomokazu was getting ready to strike. Or maybe he'd begun his blow before she'd gone to protect Yamato and he couldn't stop his own attack.

Sakura scrunched her eyes shut as she waited for the pain. She could stand it. She'd survive the pain. She'd dealt with enough of it already. A little wound wasn't going to kill her. No, she was going to make it…make it long enough to see them again.

Just one look would be enough. She just had to see them…see him…

The pain never came.

She hear a large explosion from a few meters away and screams.

"SAKURA!"

She could pick out their voices, all of them. But…why were they there together? She didn't ponder the thought, as the felt someone move in front of her and heard the soft twang of metal hitting metal.

No blood.

Sakura slowly looked up and all that met her eyes was black and crimson.

"…Itachi…"

* * *

Itachi's crimson eyes met silver as he and Tomokazu stared at each other. No, glare was a better word. If looks could kill, both would be lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

"…Itachi…"

Her voice was so weak. It merely fueled the strange emotion that was bubbling up inside of him, making his blood hum. It wasn't really that strange. He'd felt it before, when he was younger.

Anger.

Their kunai were still locked in place as they pushed against the other, trying to weigh each other's strength.

"My, my, if it isn't Uchiha Itachi…" Tomokazu grinned. "What a pleasant surprise. I had been hoping you'd get here sooner."

"Hn."

Tomokazu let out a small laugh. "What's wrong, Itachi? Cat got your tongue?" His eyes flickered behind Itachi at where Sakura was breathing heavily. "Or perhaps a _kitten_?"

"Hn."

"Sakura-chan!"

Tomokazu's eyes flickered over to where the others stood. His mouth twisted in a cruel smirk as he turned back to look Itachi squarely in the face. He met Itachi's mangekou eyes without flinching, which surprised Itachi. He didn't seem affected by them at all.

"Kill them." He ordered loudly.

That was when seventy sound-nin filled the room.

* * *

Ino lugged Hinata to the surface, gasping for breath as she treaded to keep them both afloat. "Hinata?" She choked out, spitting out a small amount of water.

Hinata was breathing, but water and blood were both leaking from her mouth. Ino needed to get her onto solid ground and get the water out of her lungs.

It seemed simple. It would have been simple, if it hadn't been for the sound-nin. Or rather, for the jutsu they were performing. The water around her bubbled and hissed, and it began to heat up.

Ino's skin began to turn pink from the heat as she threw Hinata's arms around her neck and began swimming towards the roof of the building.

That was when the water became cold again. No, not just cold. Freezing. As if all the warmth around them had been sucked away. It seemed to suck out the warmth of Ino herself.

"What…what's going on?" Ino whispered to herself as the water began making small waves.

As if something below her was moving.

Something big.

Ino barely had time to give a yell as she was pulled beneath the surface.

* * *

Shikamaru realized what was happening after the fact. Ino and Hinata had been pulled beneath the surface, and the shinobi were all rushing towards where the others were fighting on the roof.

"A summoning." Shikamaru cursed softly as he made to jump down. But he stopped as he saw Kisame dive into the water.

"Nani?" Shikamaru whispered. "Why would he go and help them?"

* * *

Ino opened her mouth to scream and all of the air left her lungs in the form of white bubbles, which floated to the surface above her. She felt a sharp pain in her leg as she was dragged into the darkness below them. She tried to pull Hinata away from whatever was holding them, but its grip was adamant.

She bent down, clawing at whatever was holding her leg. She grabbed her kunai, trying to stab the dark figure. But it's grip merely tightened and more pain erupted from Ino's leg. Crimson mixed with the clear blue of the water.

And that was when Ino saw what was holding her and Hinata. She was caught in the jaws of a large sea serpent. _A summoning jutsu! Damn!  
_Ino began to lose consciousness as her air supply became zero. She held onto Hinata, but her grip loosened as darkness began to consume her.

That was when the creature opened its mouth and a large hand grabbed Ino and threw her and Hinata upwards towards the surface. Ino felt the cool air on her skin and began breathing it in, gasping for breath.

She spit up water as she lugged Hinata towards the roof. Shikamaru grabbed them both, hauling them up.

"What…w-what happened?" Ino choked.

Shikamaru merely looked back out at the water, which was growing turbulent and stormy. He knew it was because of the two creatures fighting below.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but…" Shikamaru sighed as he continued to look out at the water. "Good luck Kisame Hoshigake."

_

* * *

_

_Damn fish._ Was Kisame's first thought as he swam away from its massive jaws. The serpent seemed to be angry with him. He couldn't really see why. All he'd done was cut off one of its heads.

It had three more.

Kisame began rapid hand signs as the creature glared at him, surging towards him from beneath.

The creature's head slammed into Kisame as they broke the surface of the water. One of the other heads swerved around, snapping Kisame in two. The water gushed out of its mouth as it let out a disappointed roar. Just a water clone.

The real Kisame ran up the serpent's neck, swinging Samehada with a grin. The creature let out a pained shriek as one of its heads fell into the water, creating a large wave that slammed into the roof, throwing a few of the unsuspecting sound-nin into the water.

Where Kisame's water sharks were still waiting.

Kisame dodged the jaws of another head as it rushed towards him.

He slammed Samehada into its open mouth, splitting the serpent in two. Kisame was now covered in blood as he landed on the surface of the water. He shook his head, letting the crimson droplets splatter back down into the water.

The water had stilled completely. Kisame gripped the hilt of Samehada tightly as his eyes drifted across the expanse of water.

Nothing.

That was when the serpent shot out of the water beneath him and the jaws closed over his head. In that moment of darkness, Kisame let out a small grin.

_Should've seen that coming, I guess. _

* * *

"Dammit!" Naruto cursed as he slammed his fist into another sound-nin, sending him crashing into the ground. He dodged another's attack. He caught fleeting glances of Sakura, Sai, and Yamato.

_How the hell did Sai and Yamato get here?_

He couldn't dwell on the thought as he grabbed another man's arm, throwing him across the room. He felt the Kyuubi waiting to burst free with Naruto's rage, but Naruto fought to contain it.

It was difficult.

Especially after seeing Sakura.

She had looked dead. That had been his first fear when he'd caught a glimpse of her. She was so pale, as if all the blood in her body had drained out. Her hair was matted and hung in clumps with dried blood. She looked bruised, beaten, torn, and broken. Like a rag doll.

_Sakura-chan, how could he have done this to you? How?_

He backed into someone as he was pressed from the front. He was about to turn around and attack this new enemy when it spoke to him steadily, looking back with one blue eye.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. We have enough enemies to fight, yeah."

Naruto couldn't help but give a small smile at Deidara's words, and he nodded as he pushed forward again.

Deidara heard Naruto give a war cry as he surged forward and Deidara felt the tingle of chakra as he used his Rasengan.

Deidara threw one of his birds and it exploded, sending debris raining down on top of the shinobi he was fighting. There was no longer a second floor above them.

_Sakura…oh god…I have to get to Sakura!_ Deidara screamed inwardly. But he couldn't. Five more sound-nin blocked him from his goal.

* * *

Neji slammed his palm into a shinobi, letting him fall limp. He rushed forward, dodging the kunai and shuriken thrown at him from all directions. He twisted around just in time to stop a katana from taking him out from behind.

He kicked upwards but the man blocked him. This sound-nin wasn't a normal lackey.

_I don't have time for this! I have to get to Sakura._

He began pushing the katana wielding sound-nin backwards. Unfortunately, another was coming up from behind. He could see it, but he couldn't stop it. He gritted his teeth as he whirled around anyway, ready to face the man head-on.

But the man fell, and Neji heard the sickening sound of he life being cut from him. As he slumped to the ground, Neji's eyes met Sasori's. There was a moment of silence, before the two nodded and turned back to their respective battles.

* * *

Temari swung her fan, which threw her sound-nin back into the wall. The walls were creaking, as if they were strained. That was interesting in itself. But so was the fact that these sound-nin kept coming. It was if they were being kept inside and couldn't get out to help their comrades fight Kisame and the rest of the Konoha shinobi.

_Be careful, Shikamaru._ Temari thought as she swung her fan once more. She heard a growl of pain from her left and turn to see Sasuke rip his sword out of a sound-nin's stomach.

Sasuke's eyes glowed crimson with the Sharingan as he rushed forward, cutting through the shinobi effortlessly with his sword. He ignored the blood that covered him and stained his outfit.

His eyes were zeroed in on Sakura. On her shallow breaths and the blood that dripped from her cheek.

_How dare he. How dare he touch Sakura. She's mine._

He wasn't the only Uchiha to have that thought.

* * *

Itachi landed on the balls of his feet as he threw up his arm to block Tomokazu's kick. His Sharingan took in Tomokazu's stance, his movements, but his eyes could not read them. He couldn't use them to predict his next moves. He had to rely on his own skill outside of the Sharingan.

That irked him.

His mangekou glittered as it met Tomokazu's silver eyes. Itachi couldn't help but smirk at the fact that there was a large cut on Tomokazu's arm.

He tried to ignore the matching one on his own.

"What's wrong Itachi?" Tomokazu hissed. "You seem slower."

A small smile brushed his lips.

"Has rage blinded your Sharingan?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed further as he began hand signs, sending a fireball towards Tomokazu, who dodged it. It hit some of his men that were standing behind him, who screamed as they rolled across the ground, trying to beat out the flames.

Tomokazu didn't even flinch at his dying men's screams. His eyes never left Itachi.

"You've lost, Uchiha." Tomokazu grinned as they exchanged blows once more and jumped back.

"You'll never get your blossom back." Tomokazu chuckled. "Never."

"Hn." Itachi grunted, throwing a kunai. Tomokazu grabbed it, throwing it back at him. Itachi let it thud into the wall behind him as he rushed forward.

They seemed to dance as they fought, their movements were that graceful. A dance of death, perhaps, for it was deadly as well. Metal flashed and disappeared in seconds, leaving behind crimson stains and cuts.

"I thought I told you not to touch what was mine, Tomokazu."

Tomokazu grinned. "Jealous?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he remembered Deidara say that same word, with that same tone…and the truth was, Itachi knew he _was_ jealous. And that made him even angrier. He suppressed it all, trying to find his calm once more.

But every time he caught a glimpse of Sakura's limp form as she watched their battle with her glossy jade eyes, the anger came back.

"You can't kill me, Itachi." Tomokazu smirked. "And even if you could, it wouldn't matter. Sakura will never be yours. She's broken. Defeated. I've _claimed_ her."

_**"I've **_**claimed**_** her."**_

Itachi let out what could only be described as a small growl from beneath his breath as he shot forward.

_Claimed her? He touched what was mine?_

_Tasted what was mine?_

_…he will die._

Itachi didn't even notice how unlike him his thoughts sounded. They seemed so right, and he welcomed the heat that coursed through him. Perhaps his emotions were good for something.

They were locked in battle once again, their kunai mere inches from each other's faces. Itachi leaned in closer as his crimson eyes seemed to dig into Tomokazu's soul.

"You will live in agony so much longer for that, Tomokazu." He pushed, sending Tomokazu flying backwards. Tomokazu flipped in the air, landing on his feet as he crossed his arms to block Itachi's kick.

"I had planned on killing you quickly." Itachi explained in his monotone voice as they exchanged more blows.

"But now I will make you beg for death."

"So I've finally found something to rile the Uchiha, eh?" Tomokazu laughed. "I'm honored. But you don't get it, do you? She's broken. Even if I die—which I won't of course—she will not be yours anymore then she was before you kidnapped her."

"Oh?"

"I've broken her will." Tomokazu laughed darkly. "I've completely taken control of her."

"That's impossible." Itachi answered back simply.

"And why is that?" Tomokazu asked with a sneer.

Itachi couldn't help but give his own dark smirk. "Because she is strong."

* * *

Shikamaru gave another loud curse as he watched the serpent swallow Kisame.

"Damn." Ino cursed beside him as she finished tending to her own and Hinata's wounds. "He…did that thing really just kill Kisame?"

"It looks like it." Shikamaru swallowed. "Oh man…"

That was when the creature swiveled around, spotting them sitting on the roof. The others were battling all around them but the creature seemed to single them out. It gave a large, toothy grin as it lunged forward.

Ino screamed as she grabbed onto Hinata, and Shikamaru got ready to pick up both girls and run—to where he didn't know. But the creature stopped a few feet in front of them, letting out a gurgled screech. Shikamaru blinked, as he saw a large sword sticking out of the creature's stomach. The sword went around in a complete circle, cutting the entire serpent in half. It fell back into the water, which turned a darker crimson.

They stared down at the water for a moment, before bubbles began appearing. They froze as the bubbles seemed to become more frequent, and the shadow of whatever was surfacing became larger.

"Damn. I hate fish."

Shikamaru blinked, before he did something he rarely did.

He laughed.

It was a short release, however, as the entire building shook around them, and the water suddenly began swirling and rushing inside of the building as it collapsed.

* * *

Sakura's eyes widened as she heard his voice. As she heard those words.

_**"Because she is strong."**_

"Itachi…" Sakura whispered, her voice clogged with tears. _Am I…am I really strong?_

_You think I'm _strong_?  
Then I have to be, don't I? I can't prove you wrong._

Sakura breathed in a deep breath as she watched them continue fighting. There was barely any room. All of her friends were fighting tooth-and-nail for her.

For _her_.

But what was with Itachi's strange behavior? He was…angry. She could see it in the lines of his body, the stiffness of his jaw. It would be completely invisible to anyone else. But she saw it.

He was angry.

And that scared her. It also excited her. She knew then, she knew that Tomokazu would die. An emotionless Itachi was bad enough.

An angry one was hell.

She heard a soft yell as Temari flew across the room. The sound-nin had cornered her, making it impossible for her to swing her fan.

_These quarters are too small. If only…_ Sakura looked down at her fist. _Do I have enough?_

She gave her own small smile.

_Just enough._

Sakura gathered chakra into her fist—and slammed it into the wall. The wall splintered, sending a fissure across the entire building. Everyone in the room froze, as the entire building groaned.

But that wasn't what made Sakura let out a gasp as her eyes widened in horror.

No, it wasn't that.

It was the sound of roaring water as it rushed in all around them, consuming them all completely.

* * *

**(A\N: How did you like it? It's definitely not over, don't worry. There will be more Tomokazu getting his ass kicked in the next chapter. No one can resist seeing Tomokazu get whipped! **

**Poor Kisame. I wonder if he'll touch fish ever again…**

**Ok, about the next chapter…well…**

**More of the fight. And some angst. Ok, a lot of angst. Maybe a tear-jerker if I feel like it. I'll have more free time on my hands now that my stupid AP exams are over. YAY!**

**Well, until next time…**

**Sincerely, **

**Lady Hanaka**

**Question: This one just made me laugh, so here you go!**

**If 4 out of 5 people suffer from diarrhea does that mean the fifth one enjoys it?**

**P.S. Happy belated birthday:** **Silver Tongue theangelgirlmax)**


	23. Chapter 22: I Hate the Rain

**(A\N: Ugh. Sorry about the lateness of the chapter. I've had writers block. Every time I did the battle scene I erased it because I didn't like it. I've gone through about five different scenarios! OK, anyway…here's the scene I liked the best. Enjoy!)**

**Chapter 22**

**I Hate the Rain**

Sakura let out a gasp as water filled the room. She heard multiple shouts and exclamations but she didn't have time to register just what they were. Her first thought was, _Oh shit._ The second one was _I'm going to drown._

Sakura saw the water surging towards her and she could hear the roar of the waves as they consumed the room. Suddenly something grabbed her and shot upward. She didn't know what was happening as she saw the water completely cover the spot she'd just been standing in as the entire building collapsed in on itself.

The crash was tremendous and it made Sakura's ears ring as she and her rescuer landed on the water outside of the area. For some odd reason the water didn't seem to disappear, but merely covered the large expanse of area that had once been a castle as well as the surrounding clearing. She blinked as she noticed her friends all standing on the water as well, a few of them dripping wet.

Kisame looked like he'd just been chewed up and spit out by something.

Sai seemed to have been able to grab Yamato out of harms way and the older man was coming to.

She clutched onto her rescuer with her waning strength. All of her injuries and blood loss were making her woozy and tired. She just...she just wanted to fall asleep and never wake up. She knew, sadly, that such an end was very probable, given her state.

_And now...now I've seen them all. I just wish...I just wish that I could say goodbye._

She blinked, as she suddenly noticed that something was terribly wrong.

She was staring into the eyes of all of her friends. She could even see the glint of Itachi's crimson Sharingan as he took a step forward. Sakura stiffened as she began shaking and she tried to push away from the man holding her.

Not a man. A monster.

"Now, now...calm down little blossom." Tomokazu purred into her ear as he held her close. "You're going to strain yourself. You're weak enough as it is."

"Let her go you bastard!" Naruto yelled out, making to lunge forward. He would have too, if Temari hadn't grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"You're outnumbered, yeah. Let Sakura go and we'll let you live." Deidara answered back coldly, his blue eyes hard. It was a lie, but if it got Sakura away from Tomokazu sooner then he didn't care.

Tomokazu snorted. "I think I'll keep her over here with me." He buried his face in her neck as he looked up at them smugly from beneath his bangs. "She's much more amusing then you."

Sakura struggled in his grip but she was weak, especially after using her chakra with the strain her body was in.

Tomokazu watched in grim satisfaction as all of the shinobi narrowed their eyes and clenched their fists. _My, my, it seems I've riled them all. How touching, everyone coming to save their dear cherry blossom._

_But she is mine._

Sakura gritted her teeth as she turned her face away from him, trying to think as she watched Temari and Choji hold Naruto back as he yelled profanities at Tomokazu. None of them moved to attack however. She supposed it was because they were afraid she would get hurt.

_Dammit Sakura! What the hell is wrong with you? Fight BACK!_

_Itachi said you were strong, Sakura._

_Prove it._

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she felt Tomokazu's grip on her tighten, and she flinched as his fingers dug into the wounds on her arms. She wondered if her friends saw the cringe, or the way her eyes flashed in pain, or the way she looked as if she were about to faint.

No, she wouldn't let them.

She had to be strong.

"You're a dead man Tomokazu! I'm going to rip you apart with my bare hands!!!!!" Naruto growled, as orange and red chakra glittered around him. His eyes had taken on a primal glow, burning crimson.

_Three_ crimson eyed shinobi were glaring at Tomokazu with so much hate Sakura could feel it emanating around the entire clearing. She was surprised the water wasn't steaming.

"Let her go." Sasuke ordered coldly. _I'll kill you._ He hadn't thought he hated anyone more than his brother, but Tomokazu was running a _very_ close second at the moment. After what he'd done to Sakura…

"Come and get her, if you want her." Tomokazu teased, playing with her hair. A mad glint entered his eyes as he grinned.

"Or perhaps you want to hear her scream first."

Sakura froze at that but was too late to move as pain erupted through her body.

* * *

Hinata paled the same time she saw Sakura's face drain of its last bit of color at those words. Hinata was already petrified of the silver eyed man who emanated a blood lust and killer intent that was almost tangible. But when she had seen that fright, that pure terror in Sakura's eyes, she felt herself lose all of her confidence.

It took a lot to frighten the Sakura Haruno she had grown to know.

But at the same time as her fright, Hinata was silently happy for a grim moment. Happy in the fact that even as she saw the pain flash across Sakura's face and the way her jaw tightened and a small stream of blood trickled down the left corner of her mouth, Sakura did not scream.

Hinata supposed she would die before she would scream.

_She's so strong._ Hinata thought in awe. She could only imagine the pain Sakura was in. Her byakugan could see the horrors that had been done to the inside of her body. She didn't know how it was possible that Sakura was even breathing. She could also see the small, faint lines of chakra that ran through Sakura's body. They were almost undetectable to her eyes. That was a bad sign.

Hinata wondered if the others saw what she saw. If they could see the pain and suffering Hinata was witnessing right now.

_**"I was never very strong, Hinata. But I tried. And I swore to myself I would train and train until I could prove to myself that I had at least **_**grown**_** in strength….that I had become a **_**little**_** bit stronger. That's all I wanted."**_

Hinata bit her lip as she remembered Sakura's words to her after Naruto had left to find Sasuke. _You are strong Sakura. I wish I had your courage._

* * *

Sakura breathed in quickly, making the air whistle between her clenched teeth, like a hiss. That wasn't far from the truth, as she tried to ignore the sharp pains that racked her body. She locked her jaw, swearing she wouldn't scream. She was strong. _Itachi_ had said she was strong. She was going to prove it. That one thought was the only thing that filled her mind_: Itachi said I was strong. Itachi said I was strong. Itachi said I was _strong

_Just…have to…stay…conscious._

That was easier said then done. As she peered at the others, their outlines began wavering. It was as if she were looking through murky water. Her vision flickered from blurred images to sharp clear ones to complete blackness in an unpredictable cycle. She wondered if this was how it felt to die. So far away from everything and so completely…detached

She felt Tomokazu's grip on her arms, but her skin was numb so it wasn't altogether unpleasant. Just an immense presser that was lessening every second. She could barely hear Naruto and Kisame's threats either. _Those bakas. They're all bark and no bite ._She thought almost giddily.

_I suppose dying isn't so bad. Even the pain is going away._

Sakura blinked, trying to focus her vision. She saw a hazy red that burrowed into her own jade orbs and she was suddenly ashamed of her earlier thoughts. _I can't die yet. I have to prove to them all, prove to _him_ that I am strong. _

_Not yet._

And so she merely gave a small smirk—one that she felt was worthy of the arrogant Uchiha brothers themselves—as she slammed her elbow backwards into Tomokazu's stomach.

She heard him gasp as the air was knocked out of him—which gave her a grim satisfaction—but then she didn't hear much at all as she went flying through the air. She slammed into the water and only just managed to focus the remaining vestiges of her chakra into her palms, keeping her upper half above the water. She slowly lifted herself out, landing on her knees. She barely heard the worried exclamations that came from her friends.

She watched as the water dripped from her pants as her knees sunk a few centimeters underneath the surface. She was virtually on empty. She was surprised she even had the strength to focus her chakra.

_If only I'd been able to use some of my chakra. Perhaps I could have killed the bastard._

_I guess he didn't believe I could still fight. _

_Che. I'll _die_ fighting._

"That was very stupid of you blossom." Tomokazu ground out coldly as he began walking across the water towards her. Her level of sight was fixed upon his feet, watching him as he came closer. But he never reached her. Instead, a mangekou-wielding Uchiha stood in his path.

_Itachi…always coming to my rescue, eh?_

_Like a knight in shining armor. _

_Only you aren't wearing a white breastplate or brandishing a shining sword. No…just an Akatsuki cloak and a kunai._

_…I kind of prefer you this way._

_I'd feel a bit afraid if you changed now. I'd definitely know I was dying then, if I was hallucinating _that_ badly. _

"We never finished our earlier battle, Tomokazu." Itachi spoke, his emotionless tone completely recovered.

Sakura felt a presence beside her and looked up to see Naruto. His blue eyes were worried as he gently touched her arm. "You ok Sakura-chan?" He sounded as if he were speaking through water.

_Do I really look that bad?_ Sakura mused silently as she turned to him with a tired smile. "Hey Naruto."

Suddenly she was wrapped in one of Naruto's famous bear hugs as he breathed in raggedly. "I thought…I thought we'd lost you for a second."

Sakura gave a small chuckle as she turned her head so her face wouldn't be buried in his chest. She had a hard enough time breathing as it was. She didn't need to try while having her nose stuck in his collarbone. "Nah. I'm not that easy to get rid of, I guess."

Sakura wasn't really paying attention to Naruto, which she felt a bit ashamed about. But her whole attention was fixed on Itachi and Tomokazu as they slowly circled one another on the water's trembling surface.

There were several presences beside her and she knew her friends had come over to where she and Naruto were. Once again, Sakura's eyes never left Itachi's Akatsuki cloak.

* * *

"You're getting annoying, Itachi." Tomokazu smirked. "I'm tired of your interferences."

"Hn." Itachi's fingers tapped against the kunai he held as his eyes narrowed. He tried to find Tomokazu's weak spots. But for some reason, Itachi's Sharingan could not predict Tomokazu's movements. It was like trying to see through a fog.

Of course, this was only a minor setback. It merely meant that for once in his life, Itachi would have to fight without the trump card of his Sharingan.

He was still more than enough of a match for Tomokazu.

His eyes flashed as Tomokazu appeared in front of him and Itachi twisted slightly to the side, the kunai whistling past his cheek. Itachi grabbed Tomokazu's wrist, wrenching him forward so that the two were stuck in place, eye to eye.

_No one can escape my Mangekou, Tomokazu. No one._

The three tomo began swirling rapidly, as reality seemed to shatter in front of them both, descending them into a world of crimson and black.

_Itachi and Tomokazu stood in the middle of the complete black void, their shadows white upon the black of the illusion world the Mangekou had created. The sky was a hazy red fog, with a bright white and crimson moon. _

_"Even you are subject to illusion here, Tomokazu." Itachi began, smirking to himself. _

_Tomokazu stared down at the vines that were slowly circling around his feet, anchoring him to the ground. He tested his ability to move, and realized that he was stuck in place. _

_"If it isn't the Tuskuyomi…" Tomokazu chuckled to himself as Itachi walked up to him, a blade in hand. _

_The crimson light reflected off the blade, as Itachi lifted it and placed the tip at Tomokazu's neck, the cold metal making contact as Itachi forced Tomokazu's chin up._

_"It would be much simpler if you would bear your neck and let me kill you now." Itachi commented coolly. _

_Tomokazu's eyes narrowed dangerously and he frowned, but there was no fear or panic on his face. His eyes never left Itachi's, not even to look at the blade that was threatening to cut the life out of him. _

_"However…" Itachi continued, moving the blade so that the point dug into the cloth of Tomokazu's shoulder. "Such a quick death would be pointless."_

_Tomokazu's eyes flickered as the katana was shoved into him. Blood dripped down the blade, soaking his cloak. _

_"You will relive this pain for three days." Itachi began, taking out the blade as he lifted it to stab him once again, almost excited about the grim satisfaction he was going to get out of it. _

_But Tomokazu merely sneered as he gave a dark laugh. _

_"And so will you Itachi." And his hand snapped out of the vine's grasp and latched onto Itachi's arm._

* * *

They were merely standing there, arms locked so that their faces were mere inches apart.

Sakura had felt a small moment of panic as Tomokazu's fingers curled around Itachi's wrist, but Itachi showed no signs of discomfort or pain. Maybe…maybe Tomokazu hadn't activated his jutsu.

"They've been staring at each other for more than three seconds." Kisame grunted. "That's the usual length of Itachi's Tsukuyomi."

"Hai." Sasori nodded. "Perhaps another genjutsu was used as well."

And suddenly both of the men shot backwards, leaping away from each other as quickly as possible. They landed gracefully on opposite sides of the water.

Itachi's eyes were narrowed, and Sasuke saw the slight hitch in his breath. Had something really taken that much exertion from his older brother?

Tomokazu was smirking, but his eyes were duller then before. The silver no longer glinted quite as brightly.

There was a long moment of silence as the others waited expectantly for something to happen.

Finally, Itachi spoke. "I did not believe your kekkei genkai had a genjutsu along with it." He rapidly did hand signs, "Interesting." Then flames shot from his lips, consuming the area Tomokazu had been standing on.

"Genjutsu, yeah?" Deidara asked in confusion as steam filled the area, blocking their view of the battle once more.

Sakura nodded. "It's a lot like the mangekou, in a sense. He used it on me." Sakura blinked once more, trying to ignore the shadows that crept in the back of her mind, trying to consume her in darkness.

"He used it on you, yeah?" Deidara's voice was cold and furious. How dare someone hurt Sakura!

Sakura nodded, eyes narrowed as she peered into the steam in an attempt to see. "Once."

There was a large gust of wind that cleared away the steam, and they all blinked as water rained down on them. Itachi had apparently used a water-styled jutsu against Tomokazu, who had blocked it with one of his own.

Kisame was reminded slightly of the battle between Itachi and Hatake Kakashi. A spectacular test of who had the best ninjutsu.

The sound of their footsteps as they ran across the water was the only way Tenten could tell where the two shinobi were, they were moving so _fast_. She supposed that most of the other Konoha shinobi were having the same problem as she was. She only knew that they were actually fighting by the random splashes on the water's surface, or when their figures would appear sporadically before disappearing again.

Sasuke saw it all, of course. He watched as his brother and Tomokazu landed hit after hit upon one another, yet neither of them seemed to be bothered by it. They kept fighting as if they hadn't been hurt at all.

Itachi hated to admit it, but Tomokazu was proving to be a more difficult opponent to defeat than he had originally thought. He didn't let his mind dwell on the sickening genjutsu that Tomokazu had created. It had been the only time in his life that he'd actually been caught in another person's genjutsu.

Itachi was almost surprised that either of them could stand. Three days for both of them in their own hell…

And yet here they both stood. Itachi had been hoping that Tomokazu would suffer a mental breakdown and fall, but he was apparently too strong for that. That irked Itachi slightly.

Itachi lifted his kunai, parrying the five shuriken that Tomokazu shot at him, immediately blocking Tomokazu's oncoming kick with his arm. He didn't notice Tomokazu's right hand snake beneath his crossed arms until it was too late. The kunai cut into his ribs, and Tomokazu ripped it upwards, grinning mercilessly.

Itachi merely disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Tomokazu's grin became an annoyed frown. "Stop running, Itachi Uchiha…it's very unbecoming of you. I expected you to fight me, not run and hide." He wondered if his taunts were having any effect.

He grabbed the kunai mere centimeters in front of his face. He ignored the sharp pain in his hand as the edges of the kunai dug into his skin. Tomokazu smirked as he watched Itachi's angered crimson eyes flash in annoyance at the fact that Tomokazu had actually stopped his attack.

Tomokazu leaned in, his teeth flashing in a feral grin. "How did it feel, Itachi? To lose all of that power you've gained over the years. To be helpless to stop it all…?"

* * *

Sakura blinked in surprise, as she heard those words. She knew Tomokazu's jutsu. Like the mangekou, it caused the mind's greatest fears to be awakened…

_To stop what, Itachi?_ What was Itachi so afraid of? What _could_ frighten Uchiha Itachi?

* * *

Itachi's eyes narrowed dangerously as he pushed down harder on the kunai, liking the fact that Tomokazu grimaced as the blood began to drip quicker down his fingers. But then he was parrying Tomokazu's other hand, which skimmed his shoulder as Itachi jumped backwards. He felt the small jolt of pain that the small bit of contact made, and he was a bit shocked by it.

So that was Tomokazu's jutsu.

He wondered how Sakura could have possibly survived weeks of torture with that jutsu. She was strong, in her own right, but…

…what if she _hadn't_ been tortured the entire time?

And suddenly he remembered Tomokazu's genjutsu, and he began to doubt.

_Itachi blinked in the darkness, ignoring the throbbing pain in his upper body from his ealier encounter with Tomokazu. _

_As he peered into the shadows, two figures slowly began to come into view. _

_"NO! Stay away!" The woman screamed as she was slammed into the wall, her bright green eyes widening in pain as she coughed up a bit of blood. "Stay-cough-away…"_

_She was crying now, trying to squirm out of the man's grasp. But the man's silver eyes merely narrowed in amusement as his mouth crashed down upon her own. _

I told you to stay away from her, Tomokazu…_Itachi growled to himself, as he made to step forward. But he couldn't…He looked down at his arms and legs. Nothing was stopping them from moving…nothing…_

_And yet, his body felt frozen. He searched through his body and his eyes widened slightly. _

_No chakra._

_"Itachi! Help me!!!!" Sakura screamed hysterically, tears falling down her cheeks in torrents as she squirmed free of Tomokazu's hungry lips, trying to get herself off of the wall. _

_Itachi urged himself forward, but he couldn't. _Dammit Itachi, get control of yourself. This is merely a genjutsu. Nothing more, nothing less. Release it.

_But how could he release it without chakra? And it struck him then, he was completely, utterly hopeless. _

_And that was what frightened Itachi the most. _

_"ITACHI!!!!!"_

_Tomokazu ripped open her shirt, slipping off her pants. Itachi's eyes flashed as he realized what was happening. Sakura was crying and struggling, begging him to let go of her as his lips and hands trailed across her body. _

_Just as Itachi had done._

_Itachi opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no sound came out. Nothing seemed to be working. His mouth, his muscles, his _mind

_The only thing that worked was his Sharingan, which he viewed as a curse as he took in every single one of Sakura's tears. He could see the red marks Tomokazu's teeth left upon her pale flesh. _

_"S-Stop!" She was whimpering now, as he shoved into her. _

_Itachi flinched as she cried out in pain and fright. _Move, h_e urged himself. Nothing._

_She continued crying, whimpering against his mouth as he took her harder. _

_All Itachi could do was stand there and watch as another man possessed _his_ Sakura. _

_And suddenly Sakura's cry turned into a small moan. Her head arched back as Tomokazu ravished her neck. She let out another whimper, yet this one wasn't a whimper of pain. _

_She was _enjoying_ it?_

_It was one of those rare times in his life where he felt like slamming his hands over his ears and scrunching his eyes shut, like he had done when he was a little child. He wanted to scream, "Make it stop!" but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Even if he'd had a voice, Itachi Uchiha had too much pride to do such a thing. _

_But Itachi could not cover his ears, and he could not shut his eyes. He merely had to watch the scene in front of him, as Sakura began groaning and writhing beneath Tomokazu. _

_Tomokazu turned to look at Itachi as he gave a triumphant smirk. And then he changed, his silver eyes becoming scarlet. _

_His younger brother stood in front of him, his eyes hard as he raised his sword. Sakura merely leaned against the wall, watching, breathing deeply. _

_"You aren't the strongest Uchiha any longer, Itachi. I've come to take my revenge…and I've come to take Sakura back with me." Sasuke smiled cruelly. "You are weak. You couldn't save Sakura…let alone _yourself_."_

_Itachi's eyes narrowed as he let out a small growl. _

_Sasuke merely chuckled. "How pathetic." He placed his blade at Itachi's neck, pressing down until a few drops of blood welled on the tip. _

_Itachi found his voice for but a moment, a soft whisper._

_"…Sakura…"_

_His eyes met bright jade, and for a moment something seemed to soften in her gaze. But then her eyes hardened, as she gave a small, evil smirk. _

_"I am not your whore, Itachi."_

_And then the blade sliced across his neck._

* * *

The others saw Itachi physically flinch, before he began rapid hand signs once again. His crimson eyes were glowing with an almost demonic aura as he watched Tomokazu.

Tomokazu merely smiled, even as the twin water dragons twisted towards him. He dodged the first, before beginning his own hand signs, which created a water dragon that crashed into Itachi's remaining one.

"You seem a bit angry, Itachi," Tomokazu chuckled. "Was it something I said?" His smile on grew wider as he noticed Itachi's murderous gaze. Tomokazu's eyes flickered towards Sakura.

"Or was it something someone _else_ said?"

It was in that moment that Itachi knew Tomokazu had seen Itachi's hell. Had seen what Itachi feared the most.

And that angered him more than anything.

Tomokazu merely rolled up one sleeve, revealing a large twisting design that curled up his arm. "I haven't shown anyone this before, Itachi. You should feel honored." Tomokazu continued to roll his sleeve up to his elbow slowly, then stopped.

"This is the ultimate technique of my clan, the highest level of my kekkei genkai." Tomokazu smiled, and it was a sickening sweet smile, as he began pumping chakra into his arm.

He pressed his fingers into the wound upon his shoulder, sliding the sticky red liquid down the design on his arm.

Itachi took one step backwards, as Tomokazu slammed his hand down onto the water's surface.

There was a loud, horrifying sound, like children screaming as white vapors began lifting from the water, which bubbled and steamed.

"Meet my ancestors, Itachi." Tomokazu laughed as the white vapors began to take shape above the water's surface with glowing amber eyes.

* * *

"What the…?" Choji's brows furrowed in confusion, his question echoing the unspoken question that all of them were asking.

"Are those…ghosts?" Kisame ground out. If Sakura didn't know him better, she would have believed his tone was slightly awed.

"I think they are, yeah." Deidara answered softly.

"How do you kill a ghost?" Tenten asked no one in particular.

No one had an answer.

* * *

Itachi shot backwards, flipping in the air to avoid the grasp of one of the spirits. Its claws grazed the air around him, sucking the warmth from it. The entire area seemed cold and dead now.

He blew fire at one of them, hearing it shriek in pain as it evaporated. He blinked as the ghost merely formed once again as the fire ceased.

That, however, was the least of his problems, as one of the ghost came up behind him, reaching through his body.

Itachi couldn't help but give a small grunt as pain consumed him, burning like fire through his body. He jumped into the air, landing a few feet away to catch his breath. He didn't let this show, as he watched Tomokazu warily, his eyes on all of the ghosts as well.

Tomokazu laughed loudly. "How do you like them, Itachi? Every time one of them touches you, you will feel the effects of my regular jutsu. Only…you cannot dodge this pain. And it is impossible to counter."

* * *

"Does he mean…does he mean that those ghosts can perform his kekkei genkai?" Ino asked softly.

"That's what it looks like." Shikamaru answered.

"It _is_ indeed impossible to counter them. Once they fade through his body it would be impossible to dodge them, since they would merely pass through the rest of his body when he moved." Sasori commented. "Ingenuous."

Sakura watched in horror, feeling panic fill her. One user of the kekkei genkai was bad enough. But twelve?

"Itachi…" She whispered, her voice clogged with emotion.

"…oh god, be careful…"

* * *

Itachi dodged a spirit once more, trying desperately to get to Tomokazu. But every time he neared Tomokazu, a spirit would appear in front of him, and two more would come from the sides.

He ignored the searing pain in his body from the places they had shot through him, tearing into his body every time they did so.

He was Itachi Uchiha.

He would not be beaten.

He let out a small gasp as one of the spirits shot out of the water beneath him, flying upwards through his body. His eyes saw red—more than usual—and his mind began to fog with the pain.

He stumbled slightly, the movement almost imperceptible to the human eye.

He knew Tomokazu had seen it, because he spotted the ever-widening smile on Tomokazu's face as Itachi jumped to the side to dodge another spirit.

"Give it up, Itachi." Tomokazu spoke casually. "There is no use in suffering. Let me kill you now and you won't have to endure anymore of those spirits."

Itachi merely lunged forward once more.

Unfortunately, he was met by three spirits.

* * *

Sakura's eyes widened as she saw the milky forms shoot towards Itachi as he stumbled, trying to hide it with a lunge. Three appeared in front of him, as two more came up behind him.

"Itachi! Look out!" She screamed, but it was too late.

She watched as the ghosts shot through his body, the others clustering around as they consumed him, making him almost invisible to their eyes. He was a shadow among them, hidden beneath their bodies.

"ITACHI!"

* * *

How could he describe it? The pain was like nothing he had ever experienced before. And it didn't stop. It was not the clean, sharp pain of a physical wound. This was no cut or stab or burn.

All of them were grabbing onto him at once, making it impossible to escape as his body froze at the pain. He felt his muscles tighten as the pain shot up his legs and arms, reaching into his chest and head.

_Dammit…I can't even…think…_

"ITACHI!"

He heard her voice, and he wondered, was it because she was worried? Or was she merely putting on a show to convince him that she cared? She had always been such a good actress…

_**"I am not your whore, Itachi."**_ He remembered the venom that had laced those words. The hate.

* * *

"_ITACHI_!!!" Sakura screamed as loud as she could, as she watched the pain flash across his crimson-filled eyes. She couldn't stand it. She couldn't…she had to get to him somehow. She had to save him!

She reached out a hand as the tears streamed down her face, but she couldn't move.

"ITACHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

* * *

"You are weak, Itachi.. Useless…a pathetic excuse for an Uchiha." Tomokazu taunted. "It's hard to be on the receiving end of those words, isn't it? You can't do anything to stop me. When I finish with you, when I kill you…I'll kill the rest of them as well."

Itachi gritted his teeth.

"And then I'll take Sakura with me. I'll claim my blossom. I hope she cries when I take her. In fact, I'll make sure she does." Tomokazu laughed.

Rape…yes, that was what it would be. Sakura would never consent to Tomokazu. Ever…for some odd reason, that gave Itachi a bit of strength, as he lifted his shaking hands to begin hand signs.

"You cannot kill something that is already dead, Itachi." Tomokazu began as he saw Itachi's hand signs. "Nothing mortal could possible kill them."

Itachi finished his hand signs. "I am merely sending your spirits back to hell, Tomokazu…where they belong."

Itachi gave a small smirk.

"Amaterasu."

* * *

They all shielded their eyes with their hands as bright, burning flames filled the area. Even from behind their arms, the imprint of the hell-like black flames was burned into the back of their eyelids.

Sakura heard some of her friends scream and yell as the waves of unbearable heat hit them. All she could think of was Itachi. Had he made it out? What had he done?

The flames finally cleared, and Sakura's eyes widened in shock.

"…Itachi…"

* * *

Itachi stood in front of Tomokazu, his crimson eyes boring into Tomokazu's wide, silver ones. It was the first time Itachi had ever seen surprise and fear on Tomokazu's face. But that wasn't what pleased him. No, it was the pain that glinted in the depths of his eyes as the blood dripped into the water.

Small patches of black fire floated across the surface of the water, the spirits completely obliterated.

"I don't want your spirits to be lonely, Tomokazu." Itachi whispered in Tomokazu's ear as he gave a dark chuckle of his own. "So I shall send you to hell with them." And then he wrenched the kunai out of Tomokazu's heart.

Tomokazu gave a small, pained gasp. He fell to his knees, still on the surface of the water. He looked lost and strange for a moment, like a frightened young child who didn't know what was happening to him.

He placed his hand to his chest, looking down at the blood. His eyes filled with tears as memories flooded his mind. He remembered his own hell, the one Itachi's Mangekou had created.

_"T…omokazu…chan…" The girl gasped out, holding her bloodied side. "W-why?" The tears in her bright green eyes shined even in the darkness._

Except now it was Tomokazu who knelt on the ground, the blood pooling around him.

"_How…how can you be so…cruel?" She gasped out, coughing up blood. "You killed all of them…why? To be the strongest? You were always the strongest."_

_Tomokazu scoffed, "Stop being stupid, Masako-chan. You were merely a hindrance. Always a hindrance."_

_The girl's eyes slowly began closing, as she slumped forward._

"_I…I always…"_

_He began walking away, listening to her last dying breaths._

"…_loved you…tomo…kazu…chan…"_

Tomokazu felt his own eyes close, as he gave a small smile.

"I always loved you too…Masako…chan…"

He was met with darkness.

* * *

Sakura watched him fall, his body slump down and sink into the water. The water that had become crimson with blood. She merely stared down at the surface, watching his shadow disappear.

She almost felt sorry for him, as she saw the sorrow and pain fill his eyes, along with tears. She wondered if maybe, just maybe, he was going to meet his Masako-chan.

She stopped as two sandals appeared in her line of sight. She looked up slowly, ignoring the last few tears that rolled down her cheeks. Jade met crimson once more, and Sakura wondered how many more times she'd get that same jolt when she gazed into that red mangekou.

She merely gave a small smile, one that held some strange emotion that she couldn't quite express with words but that she knew he saw. His Sharingan saw everything…

And then her eyes closed as she slumped forward.

* * *

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto saw her fall and caught her before she landed in the water. Panic surged through him as he turned her to face him and the others crowded around. He completely ignored Itachi, who stood in front of him, staring down at the young woman in Naruto's arms. Perhaps he should have paid more attention, for he would have seen the look that flashed in Itachi's eyes as Sakura fell. Or the way Itachi's hands twitched as if he had wanted to grab her himself.

Neji saw. But he was panicking too much to give it any weight.

"Ino!" Neji shouted as he looked down at Sakura's barely rising chest. "Heal her!"

Ino shoved the others out of the way as she crouched down beside Naruto. "Forehead? S-Sakura, hey Sakura, wake up."

"Don't scream Ino-pig." Sakura murmured softly, her eyes still closed. "My head hurts."

Ino bit her lip as she placed her hands over Sakura's body, urging her healing chakra into her best friend.

"Of course, my head is the _least_ of my problems." Sakura continued.

"Sakura, can you tell me what's wrong?" Ino asked. She didn't have Sakura's degree of medical training. All she could see was a large mess, something that she didn't think she could fix. How could she fix something that she didn't even recognize? It was as if all of Sakura's organs had been put through a meat grinder, distorting them beyond recognition.

"Where is the most damage?" Ino began to panic at Sakura's lack of response.

"Wait, you can't tell?" Kiba exclaimed. "I thought you were a medic-nin Ino!"

"I'm not Sakura dammit!" Ino shrieked as she filled Sakura with her chakra.

"My liver's failing…the internal bleeding is too much for you to handle on your own Ino." Sakura whispered, stopping their fight. Her voice was so soft, yet all of them stopped to listen the moment she spoke.

"Th-then what can I do?"

Sakura's mouth tipped slightly in what could have been a smile. "Ino. I'm dying."

Ino blinked, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "Stop the bullshit Sakura! Tell me what to do! There has to be _something_!" _Tomokazu is dead. There's nothing left to hurt you. You can't die now!_

"I'm a medical shinobi, Ino. I know the severity of my own wounds. Even if you had all your chakra you couldn't do the procedure needed to save me. It's too complicated for just one person."

"Then use your genesis of rebirth jutsu!" Neji suggested frantically. He could see the inner workings of Sakura's body. He saw the way she was fading from them all. He could see her body shut itself down. It scared him. No, it _terrified_ him.

"Not enough chakra…" Sakura whispered. "Or strength…"

"Th-then what can we d-do…?" Hinata stuttered as she sniffled. She reached for Naruto's hand unconsciously, feeling him grip it tightly in comfort.

"Nothing."

"So we're just supposed to sit here and watch you die, yeah?" Deidara groaned out. "Is that it?" He tried to keep the emotion from his voice but he couldn't. All he could see was Sakura and the fact that she was going somewhere that he couldn't follow. She was disappearing from his life after he'd just found her.

It didn't matter if he was strong. It didn't matter if he was a member of the Akatsuki. He couldn't save her. He'd always boasted about his strength, but where had it gotten him? Where?

"At least…at least you guys are here." Sakura let out a small laugh which ended in a cringe. "Just think how awful it would have been to die in Tomokazu's dungeon? I'm…I'm glad I got to see you all again." And with that her eyes flickered _open_.

* * *

Distant…that was the only way Naruto could describe her gaze as he looked down at her. Sakura…his Sakura-chan…Naruto blinked as well, trying to keep the tears at bay. They slid down his face, scalding his cheeks.

It was as if Sakura was looking through them all at something.

Her eyes seemed to focus on Naruto as he let out a small sob. There it was, that old Sakura smile. He hadn't though he'd ever see it again.

"Naruto-kun…don't cry you baka. The future Hokage shouldn't cry. You look like a wimp."

It was a horrible try at a joke. Naruto couldn't even muster up one of his goofy old smiles.

"I'm glad…I'm glad you got Sasuke-kun back, Naruto. Keep him out of trouble when you all get back to Konoha, ok?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to say he could handle himself but Naruto beat him to it and he merely watched Sakura silently.  
"

Hai." Naruto nodded stiffly. "I'll do that Sakura-chan."

The tears fell onto Ino's glowing hands as she seemed to work furiously, shoving chakra into Sakura with all her might. As if she could somehow fill her with enough chakra that it would heal her that way. Or perhaps she could somehow use her life energy like Sakura had done for Temari and herself.

"Hey Ino?"

"Yeah f-forehead?" Ino choked.

"In Sound…did you see a little boy?"

Ino blinked. "Atsuko?"

Sakura smiled. "That's him. How is he?"

"He's in Konoha, at the flower shop with my mom. He'll be so happy to see you again." Ino stopped herself as she tried to concentrate on her chakra once again.

"I didn't think…I didn't think I meant so much to you all." Sakura whispered. "You all worked together to come and save the weakest kunoichi in Konoha…"

They all merely watched her, the silence painful.

"I'm proud of you."

That got a few weak smiles. Sakura's eyes drifted across the faces of all her friends, memorizing them. Was it grief that had aged them so much, or had they all merely matured in those months she'd been gone?

She searched through the small crowd of distant and sad faces for the one she needed to see the most. The one person she was afraid she wouldn't see.

"…Itachi…?"

* * *

What could he do? What was there _to_ do except answer her?

"Hn?"

Her eyes seemed to bore into him, searching his soul. He didn't like the feeling. He felt…exposed.

"…just…please…_don't_, ok?" Her eyes flickered towards the blonde holding her, back to him.

Itachi knew what she was asking. Don't capture the Kyuubi. Leave him to go back to Konoha where Itachi could never touch him. Where he would be protected forever. Where Itachi would never be able to persuade him to come out.

The only bargaining chip Itachi had was dying in front of his eyes.

He met her eyes squarely, hoping she saw what he was trying to tell her. He was Uchiha Itachi. He heeded no one. He would let nothing distract him from his goals. In that he and his brother were the same.

That had always been his train of thought. Never let anything distract him. Never let anything make him regret a decision.

He wondered it perhaps he would regret his decision now.

He felt the curious gazes of the Konoha shinobi, and the knowing glances of his fellow Akatsuki. Waiting.

"…we shall see."

Sakura let out a small laugh as she nodded. She blinked as cold liquid hit her face. Just a few droplets. She knew it wasn't tears. Tears were scorching and salty. The cold liquid that hit her lips and skin was cold, frigid.

"It's raining." Sakura's voice filled with wonder. She wondered how she could take pleasure in such a small thing, but she did. It was merely a few droplets, as they hit the water around her, making a calming pitter-patter.

She wondered if any of her friends even noticed the rain.

She gave another smile, a last smile as she looked up at the sky, letting the rain wash over her face.

"I've always loved the rain."

Her jade eyes slowly closed.

There was a small moment of stunned silence as they stared at her, seeing the way her chest no longer rose. It was as if time had stopped. But the rain kept falling. It continued to splash upon her pale face, smudging the dirt and blood, washing it away.

"S…Sakura-chan?" Naruto ground out hoarsely, his nails biting into her arms. "Sakura-chan, wake up!"

"Dammit!" Ino shrieked as the chakra around her hands flickered from the extensive use, and she felt her strength beginning to fade. "I don't know what to _do_!"

"What _can_ you do?" Sasori asked softly, his eyes trailing over Sakura's still form. His hand unconsciously went to the small puppet tucked inside of his cloak. He caressed the wood softly, liking the roughness. It brought him back to reality, to the harsh fact that Sakura Haruno was beyond help.

"I can delay the inevitable." Ino sniffed. "I c-can stop her from dying for a little while, like I'm d-doing right now." Her shoulders shook. "B-but unless we can get her to Tsunade soon it won't matter. She'll _die_."

Naruto and Ino felt themselves pried away from Sakura, but they struggled to keep a hold of her as crimson and black cloaks swirled around the pale form of their friend.

No, only one cloak. The others were merely holding Ino and Naruto back, keeping them away from the one who had knelt to pick up their fallen comrade.

He looked so strange to Naruto then, and Naruto was struck with the realization that this was the Itachi Uchiha that Sakura had spoken of in her letter. It all became clear to him as Itachi picked her up in his arms, his Akatsuki cloak covering her body completely.

In the way his eyes flickered softly with something Naruto couldn't decipher, even as his face remained emotionless.

"Create one of your birds, Deidara." Sasori spoke for Itachi, knowing the other man wasn't in the mood to talk. "We are heading to Konoha."

"But…you can't seriously want to go back there Itachi?" Kisame asked gruffly as Deidara began furiously molding clay in his palms.

"We can't all fit on your bird." Tenten pointed out.

"It's a big bird, yeah." Deidara answered. "And Itachi will be holding Sakura, which leaves room for two more people. One of them has to be me, of course."

"_I_ have to go." Ino whispered. "To keep her alive."

There was a small shiver that ran through all of their spines. They knew that there was still a slim chance that she would survive. But for some reason, none of them seemed to mind. There was still that small chance that she _could_ make it.

Naruto's eyes flickered from Itachi, Deidara, and Ino, who were climbing upon the bird, to the rest of the shinobi, who were all looking at Sakura's pale face.

_Sakura-chan…_

_You were so kind and thoughtful to everyone, you didn't deserve this. _

_The rain is mocking us even now. You always loved the rain and it always made you smile…and now it's raining as you die. There will be no more smiles and no more laughter. No more Sakura-chan…_

_"_I hate the rain." Naruto cursed.

The others turned to him, but no one said anything at all.

**(A\N: Well? Did anybody cry? Sorry the chapter took so long. **

**Yes! Finally Tomokazu is dead. Yippee! I know, I know, you all hate me right now. But as long as you don't kill me before I finish the next chapter, I can assure you that you will all be happy with me. Ok, not everyone will be happy, but most of you will!**

**After all, we haven't had a lemon scene yet…**

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed the fight. I tried to make it angsty and dramatic without putting in TOO much detail that would make it boring. **

**By the way, this chapter is dedicated to my new little niece (another reason for the lateness of this chapter). I will definitely try and get the next chapter to you before TOO long. Of course, I am also suffering from some super bad allergies right now. As I sit here I'm coughing my lungs up, but that's ok! I got this chapter to you all and that's all the matters, ne:)**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka**

**P.S. Since it's like two in the morning I don't feel much like making a funny little statement, sorry. I'll try and get you guys two at the end of the next chapter to make up for it. Thanks for understanding.) **


	24. Chapter 23: Almost

**Chapter 23**

**Almost**

Tsunade had seen a lot of things in her day. Not much surprised her anymore. Of course, being a top medical ninja as well as the Hokage could have been the reason for that.

But when she saw a _clay_ bird flying down from the sky with two _Akatsuki_ members, _Ino_, and a pale, bleeding _Sakura_, well, her jaw was on the floor.

Here she was walking down the streets of Konoha to go and speak with Hinata's father and then THIS happens? There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. She was completely shocked. So much so, in fact, that it was Ino who had to run to her, grabbing her hand.

"Tsunade-sama! Hurry!"

Tsunade blinked, finally taking control of the situation. It took her a second to regain her wits. After all, what the hell was Ino doing with the Akatsuki? The same people who had kidnapped Sakura in the first place? Her eyes locked with the Akatsuki carrying Sakura. She recognized him immediately. After all, who besides Sasuke had the Sharingan _except_ him?

"Uchiha Itachi." Her voice became cold, strong, unyielding. She was the Hokage. She wouldn't budge, not even for the Uchiha prodigy. Not until he damn well explained himself!

"We don't have time for this, Tsunade-sama!" Ino gasped out. "Sakura's _dying_!" Yes, Tsunade could see that. But she had more on her mind than just her apprentice, unfortunately. She had to think of what was best for Konoha.

"Hn."

"What the hell do you think you're doing in Konoha?" Tsunade ground out. "Do you think that just because Sakura Haruno is my apprentice I am going to let you waltz into MY village anytime you god damn please?" She was ready to fight him if it came to that. Of course, the fact that Ino was with them led her to believe they weren't here to kill anyone.

"Uh, Hokage-sama?" That was the blonde haired Akatsuki member.

"What do you want?" Tsunade snapped. Couldn't they all see she was having a hard enough time as it was? She could see that Ino was using all of chakra just to keep Sakura alive. And of course Tsunade wanted to save her. But…she had to follow protocol.

She had to protect her village.

That reminded her, where the hell was Naruto? _Oh my god…they didn't get him, did they?_

"I'm Deidara, yeah." The blonde amended. "And I understand you probably don't really care about who I am, but don't you think it would be best to heal Sakura-chan first and _then_ discuss this with us?"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously. She hated it when people made sense and made her look like an idiot. Ok, so that probably wasn't his plan, but that was how she felt. "Where are the others, Ino?"

"Oh." Ino looked to her, but her eyes kept flickering back to Sakura's pale form. "They're coming. They couldn't fly on the bird so they had to come here on foot."

Tsunade nodded. "Very well. _Ino_!"

"Hai?"

"Go get Shizune and tell her I need my top five medic-nins and herself to come down to room 603."

Ino's face brightened slightly. "Alright. But, do you need my help? I'd really like to help heal Sakura."

Tsunade shook her head. "You can't, Ino. You don't have the chakra to do this operation. You're out already from keeping her alive. I'll take over from here."

Ino's head bent slightly as she nodded. "Hai." Then she jumped into the air and disappeared, heading towards the Hokage's Tower.

Tsunade was left with the two Akatsuki members.

"Give me Sakura." Tsunade held out her hands, her eyes coldly fixed on Itachi. She knew all about his genjutsu, but at the moment all she wanted was her apprentice back! To hell with the Mangekou.

"Come on, she's a medic-nin yeah." Deidara commented softly. "Give Sakura-chan to her."

Tsunade almost gasped as Sakura's body touched her arms. She was covered in blood, and she could already see the multiple wounds on her body. But that wasn't what shocked her. It was her insides.

"Genma!" Tsunade barked. The Jônin appeared beside her, looking slightly bored before he took in the full picture. His senbon dropped from his open mouth.

"Akatsuki." He finally got his voice back as his hand went to his kunai.

Tsunade stopped him from doing something foolish, however. "I want you to go and get two of the ANBU squads. Bring them down to the hospital. They'll be watching our Akatsuki friends while I heal Sakura. And then we'll see what happens next. And don't forget to get that idiot Jiraiya too."

"R-Right." Genma answered back slowly, before he disappeared.

Tsunade wondered if the two Akatsuki members noticed the intense and surprised stares of the villagers. They were whispering among themselves, pointing at the trademark cloaks and hats.

"Don't do anything foolish." Tsunade muttered underneath her breath as she saw several of Konoha's shinobi grab weapons, instantly recognizing the two criminals who stood in the middle of the village. She sent them a level look and they all backed down, but their hands remained on their weapons and their eyes never left the two men.

"We're heading to the hospital." Tsunade spoke to the two shinobi. "Come on."

"Right, yeah." Deidara nodded.

"Hn."

* * *

They were all seated in the waiting room, and the silence was unbearable. Sasuke looked around at them all. Kakashi had come as soon as he'd heard the news. He was sitting in his chair, shoulders slumped and hands covering his face. There was no Icha Icha to be seen. 

Naruto was crying, trying desperately to stop, as he sobbed into Hinata's shoulder. She was crying too, but she seemed to have taken the initiative to be Naruto's support, and she was soothing him, rubbing his back as she whispered something to him. She didn't stutter.

Sai was seated next to Yamato, and he was staring down at the sketchbook in his hands. His hands were shaking. It was the only way Sasuke could tell he was feeling any emotion at all, since his face held nothing.

Akamaru was whining softly from where he was seated at Kiba's feet, while Kiba absentmindedly scratched his ears, a dazed look on his face, as if he couldn't believe this was happening. Shino was silent, but not in the usual, mysterious way. No, this time, it was a pained and tense silence.

Temari was gripping Shikamaru's hand tightly, trying to keep a serious gaze as the tears leaked from her eyes. She had to remain strong. She knew that was what Sakura would have wanted.

Ino sat beside her, and Temari stopped for a moment, seeing the fragility of her friend and the way her eyes were riveted to the operation room door.

She merely grabbed Ino's hand in her other one, giving it a comforting squeeze. Ino looked up at her, and gave a grateful smile before turning back to watch the door once more.

Choji ate nothing. A bag of chips was lying on the seat beside him, unopened and untouched.

Neji was letting Tenten cry softly into his chest, while Lee sat beside him, straight and tense. Neji could tell he was trying to mentally prepare himself for the worst. Neji didn't know if _he_ could take that. His grip on Tenten tightened as he thought of what was happening in the operation room.

He wasn't allowed to use his Byakugan, so like the others, he waited.

The Akatsuki were merely standing to one side of the room. Deidara was pacing softly, trying to ignore the wary stares of all the ANBU and Jônin guards—as well as the gaze of the legendary Sannin Jiraiya.

Sasori's fingers twitched, and the others knew he was searching for a puppet to begin manipulating. That was what he did when he was stressed. But the ANBU had taken their weapons—even Deidara's clay. Kisame had to place Samehada against the wall for them, so that it wouldn't jump out and attack them.

Of course, even without their weapons, the Akatsuki were hardly helpless.

Deidara's eyes went to the female Jônin who had searched him. She had scarlet colored eyes, and she was pretty. He'd thought of commenting to her that she could search him all she liked, and that she would have to be _very_ thorough, just to lighten the mood. But, then he'd seen the cigarette-smoking Jônin and realized it was probably not a good idea.

Gai stood in front of Kakashi, giving a small sigh. "It isn't your fault, Kakashi."

"I should have been there." Kakashi muttered.

"Hey, she's Tsunade's apprentice." Jiraiya drawled. "I have no doubt she'll pull through. She still hasn't kicked my ass for the last time she caught me peeking in the women's bath."

They all looking to Jiraiya with small smiles, but they faded quickly.

Kisame gave a small grin. "Hey, trust me, kitten is hardly going to let herself get killed off by that bastard Tomokazu. I think she'd come back from the grave just to spite him."

"How would you know what Sakura would have done?" Sasuke snapped out, giving Kisame a full Uchiha glare. "You don't know her."

Everyone turned to look at the two.

"I know her better than you, little Uchiha punk." Kisame growled back. "At least _I_ didn't get her kidnapped by an insane psychopath."

"As if you could have done better." Sasuke was standing at this time.

"Yeah, I could have." Kisame snarled. "Because I'm not a weak little Uchiha who can't live up to the family name."

"Why you—" Sasuke lunged forward, but Shikamaru grabbed him on one side, Choji on the other.

The ANBU guards around the room had tensed considerably.

"Listen, we all know that tensions are running high right now, but let us try and remain calm." Kakashi spoke softly.

"For Sakura's sake."

"As if that fish freak would _know_ what was best for Sakura." Sasuke grunted.

"HEY!" And then it began once more, only now the others joined in, trying to regain peace as they all yelled at each other.

"Hey cut it out you idiots!" Ino screamed. "They're trying to concentrate in the other room!"

"Hey, no one asked your opinion little girl!"

"E-everyone n-needs to c-calm down…"

"The Hyuga girl's right. Just suck it up Kisame, yeah."

"Don't YOU start with me Deidara!"

* * *

"'Dear Naruto, 

How long has it been since I've last written? Of course, you haven't gotten any of the letters, so I suppose it doesn't matter.'"

* * *

All of them stopped arguing to turn to Naruto, who was still sitting on one of the waiting room chairs, a small scroll open on his lap. The tears were falling down his cheeks in a constant stream.

* * *

"'How are you feeling? I'm doing all right, I suppose. I've felt better, of course. I'm nursing a hangover to be exact, or I was earlier this morning. Sounds too weird huh? Kisame decided that we needed to celebrate. He, Deidara and I drank a bit too much I guess. It wasn't much to celebrate, but they decided I needed it.'"

* * *

"What is that?" Tenten asked softly. 

"Is that Sakura's?" Kurenai questioned.

Naruto merely kept reading, his eyes never leaving the scroll.

* * *

"'Life here isn't so bad. I wanted to tell you about it. I want you to know what I do every day. I want you to see that maybe, just maybe, I'm better off here. I still don't know, but I'll let you be the judge'"

* * *

_That sounds like you, Sakura. You were always so optimistic, trying to find good in the bad._ Kakashi thought to himself.

* * *

"'I have my own room. It's nice, with a large bed, a bookshelf, a desk, and a trunk full of my old things. I still have the frog key chain you g-gave me. It's always attached to my kunai p-pouch. It makes it look cute."

* * *

Naruto's voice was trembling now.

* * *

"'At the moment, I'm sitting here in my room, looking out my window at the mountainside below me. It's beautiful up h-here. The flowers are beginning to b-bloom. I've always loved spring, and I can't wait until they're all blooming. There's such a large garden, it reminds me of Ino's f-flower shop.'"

* * *

Ino's eyes glistened with tears as she gave a small smile. "Sakura always loved flowers. She was so bad at arranging them though…" She sniffed. "She would have failed flower arranging at school if I hadn't helped her…" 

_"What kind of flower am _I_, Ino? You're the prettiest flower there is. What's left for me?"_

_Ino turned to her best friend. "Well Sakura, I don't really see you as a flower at all."_

_Sakura looked up at her, her face curious and a little saddened. "Huh?"_

_"I think you're just a bud. You haven't blossomed yet, Sakura. Who knows what kind of a flower you'll be."_

_"Oh…"_

* * *

"'There's a small village below the temple, an hour or so's walk from here. The people there are nice and friendly. There was a festival a few weeks ago. Deidara, Kisame, and I decided to go down and enjoy it while it lasted. You should have seen it. It was beautiful. Tell Neji I wore the necklace he gave me. It looked so pretty with the kimono. '"

* * *

Neji closed his eyes softly, as a few tears trickled from beneath his eyelids. _Sakura…_

"_Neji…I wanted to tell you that I really liked the necklace." Sakura stood in front of the door at the Hyuga mansion, a small, grateful smile on her face. _

_Neji blinked in surprise as he watched the young woman in front of him. He had actually been avoiding her slightly, since he had been embarrassed about the present, wondering what she would think about it. He had been afraid she'd reject it. But apparently he had been wrong._

_She was wearing it right now. It glistened against her neck, the blossom pendant bright against the mint green kimono she wore. Her hair was tied up prettily in a knot at the back of her head, and she was carrying a fan. _

_She was also looking down at her hands, a soft blush painting her cheeks. _

"_It's nothing." Neji finally managed to say. He heard the shouts and cheers in the distance, knowing that the festival was starting. _

"_Uh, Neji?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_Would you like to go to the festival with me?" She asked hesitantly._

_Would he? If Neji had been more like his young cousin he might have fainted. "Of course."_

_She gave him a bright smile, even though he found it different then her old ones when she had been younger. It was as if she were having a good time but she was having a hard time giving a true smile, so she had merely plastered a fake one on her face. _

_Neji held out his arm, looking back to see his uncle and Hinata watching from the door. His uncle had a small, knowing smile on his face, and Hinata had a bright grin—almost mischievous if he would ever use the word to describe his cousin—and she was dressed in a kimono as well. She'd already told him that she was heading to the festival with Kiba and Shino._

"_What do you want to do first, Neji-kun?" Sakura teased as she looped her arm in his and they began walking._

"_I just want to…walk." Neji answered truthfully, giving her one of his small smiles that was still considered a smirk if you didn't look hard enough. He saw her grin, and he knew she saw through the smirk._

"_Very well, Neji-kun. I'm going to make you walk until your feet fall off. Here we go!"_

* * *

"'We had so m-much fun. Deidara bought me some friend s-squid and he won me a large teddy b-bear. It's sitting on my bed right now.'"

* * *

Naruto breathed in another ragged breath. 

The others looked at the Akatsuki members in question. Kisame merely looked to the operation room door, as if he didn't want to meet their eyes. Deidara stared down at his feet.

* * *

"'I know it's s-strange to hear about these people like th-this. I know you probably can't understand why Deidara would w-want to win me a teddy bear. Kisame was g-going tom but he wasn't having much luck. He was already drunk by that t-time.'"

* * *

Kisame gave a small laugh and smirked to himself as he heard those words. _Way to make me look like a pussy, kitten. Thanks. I'll never be able to look these guys straight in the eye now._

"_Awe come on kitten, I can do it." Kisame grumbled as he stumbled up to where Deidara and Sakura stood in front of the booth. _

"_And I bet my teddy bear will look a lot cuter then the one that Deidara won you." He grinned as he gave a wink, before he grabbed one of the rings. _

"_Don't concentrate too hard, Kisame. Your brain might explode." Sakura laughed. _

"_What brain, yeah?" Deidara commented offhandedly._

_Kisame shot him a dirty look before he threw the ring._

"_Whoops." Deidara whistled. "You were a little off, Kisame. Try again, yeah."_

"_Shuddap." Kisame slurred as he grabbed another ring. "I'll get it this time."_

…

"_Third time's the charm."_

_But unfortunately, the third time _wasn't _the charm. Neither was the fourth, fifth, or sixth try. _

"_Don't worry about it, Kisame." Sakura sighed. "You're going to go broke."_

_Kisame slammed his hand on the counter, his fist full of money. "Just give me the damn bear!"_

_The man behind the counter jumped, before he stuttered out, "S-sorry sir. We don't have any bears left. He won the last one." He motioned towards Deidara, who grinned._

_Kisame's eyes narrowed. "Then get me the next best thing!"_

…

"_Uh, thanks Kisame. It's…nice." Sakura smiled at him, while Deidara coughed into his hand. _

"_It's cute Kisame. Arigato." Sakura gave him a bright smile, a teddy bear in one hand, a stuffed octopus in the other._

* * *

"'But N-Naruto…these people are really nice. No, I suppose nice isn't the word I'd describe them as.'"

* * *

Even Sasori smiled slightly at that. Itachi's eyes merely stayed fixed to the scroll.

* * *

"'I think I'd s-say they're merely…human…"

* * *

Everyone blinked, looking at Naruto. His fingers clenched, crumpling the edges of the scroll. They slowly turned to look at the Akatsuki.

* * *

"'They're actually teaching me some jutsus. It's like team seven all over again, except it's a team of one student and three senseis. A bit different then what we had, ne?'"

* * *

Kakashi smiled softly from beneath his mask, but said nothing. 

"_Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura let out an annoyed groan as she tapped her foot lightly on the ground. "You're late."_

"_Well you see, there was this family of ducks trying to cross the street and a wagon came flying by and—"_

_Sakura sighed. "Kakashi-sensei, those lame excuses didn't even work on my when I was little. What makes you think they'll work now?"_

_Kakashi let out his own sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. _

"_It was worth a shot."_

Kisame grunted. "She wasn't the easiest student."

Deidara laughed. "You were just mad that you couldn't push her around, yeah."

Kisame grunted again.

* * *

Tsunade barked orders as she stood in front of the table. A nurse came up and wiped the sweat from her brow. She felt the tears threaten to break through, but she wouldn't let them. 

Shizune stood beside her, her own hands glowing with chakra. Five other medic-nins stood in their circle around Sakura's limp form. Shizune tried to ignore the way her hands trembled. She'd always prided herself on her self-control when it came to saving lives. But this was Sakura…

She didn't know what she would have done if she couldn't hear Naruto. When he'd begun reading, the entire medical staff in the room had looked up, then down at the lifeless form in front of them.

"Sakura…" Shizune whispered to herself.

* * *

"'Deidara's been teaching me some clay techniques. I was just promoted to exploding clay, which made my day of course. You had better watch out if you ever ask me to spar with you again. You'll be in for a rude awakening.'"

* * *

Tsunade gave a small half-laugh, half-sob at those words. "Sakura was dangerous enough with her strength, now she has exploding clay?" 

"I guess we should be glad she isn't emotional like she used to be, ne?" Shizune whispered softly.

"…hai."

* * *

"'I can mold it into a b-bird, but it doesn't look v-very good. Art was never my forte. B-but it can still fly. Not very well, of course. You'd l-laugh at it. It's rather pathetic.'"

* * *

Deidara smiled to himself as he remembered Sakura's first few attempts. "She's right. They looked horrible in the beginning, yeah." 

_"Deidara, stop laughing at it!" Sakura pouted. "It's flying, isn't it?"_

_"It looks like its having a seizure, yeah." That merely got him a hit on the head. He gave a frown, rubbing the bump as he whined, "I didn't mean it that way, kitten."_

_"Ha!" Sakura stuck her nose in the air, eyes closed as she tried to ignore him. "Laugh and jest all you want. You're just jealous." Then she looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, giving a grin as she burst into laughter. _

_He loved her laughter._

_"At least this one isn't twitching as _much_, yeah."_

* * *

"Kisame, surprisingly enough, is teaching me s-swordplay. Kisame gave me a rather p-pitiful imitation of Samehada to practice with. But it's heavy. I n-now know how Zabuza must have felt.'"

* * *

Kisame gave a grin. "She must have written this before we finished those arm exercises. She hated me for that." 

"Well, you did make her do push ups while sitting on her, yeah. You aren't the lightest person in the world." Deidara smiled. He ignored Kisame's hateful stare. The other shinobi in the room merely stared at the four of them.

* * *

Shizune tapped the IV needle before she slid it into Sakura's arm with fingers that shook.

* * *

"'Sasori made me this adorable geisha doll. I haven't named her yet, although I suppose I should. If you think of any ideas, let me know. She's small, about a foot or so high, but Sasori taught me a special jutsu that let's me alter her size. This will help if I want to carry her around, I guess.'"

* * *

Tsunade's hands clenched into fists as she looked down at Sakura.

* * *

"'My days are usually the same: training, training, training. It's like being a genin all over again. But I love it. I wouldn't give it up for the world. I've always loved learning more than teaching. I guess it's a good thing I didn't try and become a sensei. That would have been a disaster, ne?'"

* * *

Tsunade shook her head with a frown. _You would have been a great sensei._

_Tsunade leaned her elbows against her desk, lacing her fingers together. "So? Have you thought about it?"_

_Sakura nodded from where she sat in her chair in front of the Hokage's desk. "I've thought about it."_

_"Sakura, both myself and Kakashi believe that you are up for the position. But, we won't push it on you. Do you want to become a sensei or not?"_

_Sakura looked down at her hands. "I don't know, Tsunade-shishou."_

_"You're good with children. And you're good at teaching people, Sakura." Tsunade smiled. "Remember when I sent you to Sand to help teach their medic-nin staff a new jutsu?"_

_"Hai."_

_"They said you were very helpful. You gained their trust, and you answered all of their questions. You never got angry with them for doing something wrong, either. You just showed them how to correct it." Tsunade looked at her closely, trying to catch her eyes._

_"You've proved that you're ready."_

_"I don't feel ready." Sakura whispered._

_"Why not?"_

_"I'm not strong enough."_

_Slam. Tsunade glared at her student from across the table as the books that had been resting on the corner fell off and onto the floor. "Sakura, I thought that after you started wearing your headband on your forehead you had gotten it through your thick skull that you were a strong, capable shinobi."_

_"No doubt that there are others stronger than I am." Sakura answered back evenly. Tsunade knew she was talking about Sasuke and Naruto. She'd always been in their shadow._

_"Sakura…" Tsunade rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Don't you think that gaining a genin team will help you decide whether or not you are truly strong? That you have what it takes?"_

_Sakura raised one eyebrow, before she sighed. "Oh, very well, Tsunade-shishou. But we both know, I'm a better student then I am a teacher."_

_Tsunade grinned triumphantly. "We'll just have to see."_

* * *

They all turned to look at Naruto, because he had stopped reading. He was staring down at the scroll but he wasn't reading anymore. He looked up at Itachi for a moment, and their eyes met.

* * *

"'Itachi took me to a shrine.'"

* * *

All eyes rested on the older Uchiha brother. He remained indifferent, his eyes never leaving the scroll. He looked to be deep in thought. They, however, knew that after mentioning the other Akatsuki members, it only made sense Sakura would mention Itachi. 

_Itachi and Sakura walked silently into the clearing. The sunlight played off of her pastel pink hair as she turned to him with a patient smile. "I'll only be a few minutes, I guess."_

_"Hn."_

_He watched as she walked into the shrine, her footsteps quiet. As if she were afraid to tread any louder in the area. As if it were truly holy. _

Nothing_ was sacred._

_Itachi wondered how on earth she had managed to drag him to this place. _

_He leaned against a tree trunk, waiting. He didn't know how long he stood there, listening to the soft murmur of Sakura's prayers mixed with the tinkling of the chimes that hung at the shrine door._

_It was oddly peaceful._

_She finally came out, wiping a few tears from her cheek with her sleeve, as if she didn't want him to see. He supposed that was close to the truth. She gave him a warm smile and a strange look he couldn't decipher as they began walking._

_The silence was comfortable. That was one of the things that Itachi enjoyed about spending time with Sakura Haruno. She knew just who to talk to and when to talk. Unlike some people._

* * *

"'When we came to the shrine, I said a small prayer, lighting the incense. I think Itachi thought praying at a shrine was a stupid practice, but he didn't say anything as he stood outside, waiting for me to finish.'"

* * *

Did they see a small smirk flash across Itachi's face, or had they been imagining it? For it disappeared as quickly as it came. 

_Itachi didn't understand the strange curiosity that was slowly bubbling up inside him. He didn't know why it was there. Why on earth would he care, after all? But…he did, unfortunately._

_"Who did you pray for?"_

_Sakura looked up at him, and her confused glance turned into an understanding, slightly amused one. As if she found his question amusing. _

_"Curious?"_

_"Hn."_

_She merely touched his arm so that he looked down at her. She gave him a secretive smile. _

_"I prayed for everyone who needed it."_

_And that was the only answer he got. He didn't ask again._

* * *

"'I prayed for a-all of y-you. For my mother and father, Tsunade-sama, Ino H-hinata, all of my old friends…my new ones…Kakashi-s-sensei…but most of all…I prayed for y-you and Sasuke…"

* * *

Everyone stared at him in stunned silence.

* * *

"'Th-that you'll be happy, Naruto. That you'll become Hokage one day like you want to. You can do it. And that Sasuke will find some closure. I want him to be at peace now, Naruto. Tell him that, will you? I want him to be happy, for once. He's never laughed. I want him to laugh.'"

* * *

Everyone looked to the younger Uchiha now. He was staring down at the ground, but his shoulders shook slightly. 

Two tears splashed onto the linoleum floor.

* * *

"I prayed he'd give up his thoughts of revenge against Itachi. There's no point. He's only going to get himself hurt again. I prayed…that if he found the Akatsuki, he'd just take my life and be done with it…'" 

"'…a-and be h-happy again…to smile…that's a-all I want.'"

* * *

_All you ever wanted was for everyone else to be happy, wasn't it, Sakura? _Kakashi gave a small sigh. _If only…if only that were possible…_

Naruto's eyes narrowed and his voice became angry as he shouted.

* * *

"'I want you all t-to be happy, dammit! Can't you do that for me? All my life everyone's been so worried about me. They were trying so hard to make me smile and keep my happy. But they should have been trying to help out you and Sasuke instead. They should have seen that you needed more love than I did!'"

* * *

He was breathing deeply, trying to control himself. The others didn't know what to do. They just waited for him to continue. He _had_ to continue. They had to know what else she had said…

* * *

"'But we can't turn back time, Naruto. And I don't know I'd want to change time anyway. I don't know if you can forgive me for what I've done, Naruto. I know it would be hard for me to understand if you or Sasuke left me. But…then again, you did leave me."

* * *

Naruto's voice took on a dry tone.

* * *

"'So I suppose there isn't really an excuse, is there?'"

* * *

Sasuke and Naruto felt guilt well up inside them.

* * *

"'I don't know. Nothing is certain to me anymore. I take every day as it comes. And I think that's how we should all live…in that small margin of hours that we call a day.'"

* * *

Tsunade looked up as the machine began beeping rapidly and the medics began panicking, their voices urgent as one of them yelled for some fresh help.

* * *

"'So many things can change…so many hearts can be broken…so many l-lives can be r-ruined…and y-yet, so many people can find a place where they belong…'"

* * *

"SAKURA!" Tsunade yelled, slamming chakra into her apprentice. "Hold on! SAKURA!" 

"We're losing her!" Shizune shrieked. "Where are those replacement medics!?!?!"

* * *

"'Naruto, this is p-probably hard to read.'"

* * *

_And to listen to_.

* * *

"'I know it's hard to understand them still. To understand _me_. But please…I b-beg you…just _try_ and understand. That's all I ask. Think it over and…and then decide whether or not you hate me.'"

* * *

"Dammit! Sakura!" Tsunade cursed, feeling the tears rush down her cheeks. "Just hold on…please…" 

Shizune had never heard Tsunade sound so desperate.

* * *

"'with all my love, forever and ever,'"

* * *

Shizune and Tsunade stared down at the young woman, as she slowly opened her eyes. 

"Tsunade-shishou…I…"

"Sakura…" Tsunade gripped her hand tightly.

"…I have a request, Tsunade-shishou…"

* * *

"'Sakura Haruno…'"

* * *

The door slowly slid open and everyone turned to look at Tsunade.

* * *

"'…your Sakura-chan…'"

* * *

Naruto finished in a whisper, eyes closed as the tears spilled down his cheeks. He and the others looked at Tsunade. 

It would have been better for them if she were crying. Then, at least, they would know what she was thinking.

But her eyes were hard, and her face was contorted as if she were forcing herself to keep from crying.

"Tsunade-sama?" Ino asked hesitantly.

Tsunade merely let her eyes wander to all of them, wondering if they knew what she was about to say as she forced herself to say it.

…

…

…

"I'm sorry. She didn't make it."

* * *

What could be said? They all merely stared at her, dumbfounded. And that was when denial set in. 

"B-but, but you're the best…the best medic-nin in existence." Neji stood up. "Don't tell me you couldn't _do_ anything!"

"Neji!" Tenten grabbed his arm. "Sit down."

"Tsunade-baachan…" Naruto looked up at her, blue eyes swimming with tears. "She's…she's gone?"

Tsunade clenched her fists as she looked down at the ground. "Hai."

"But, Sakura-chan is strong, yeah." Deidara gave a small laugh. "She wouldn't die."

"Stop fucking lying to us, Tsunade-sama!" Ino yelled.

Everyone turned to the young girl. She was standing, biting her lip as she hugged herself. "Sakura is NOT dead. Sakura CAN'T be dead. We always said we'd die when we were old…w-we'd die with all of our family a-around us with our g-grandchildren and our husbands a-and…" She slumped down to the ground.

"It's not _fair._"

"We got her back only to lose her again…" Kakashi whispered more to himself then to the others.

"Sakura made one request." Tsunade began, looking at the Akatsuki. "And I decided I would go through with that request. She asked that I let the Akatsuki leave here without any trouble…"

The four Akatsuki members turned to her, three in surprise, one indifferent.

"If you leave now, I promise that I will not send my ANBU after you. As long as you _get out_. If I ever see you in Konoha again, however, I will not hesitate to have you killed." She blamed them. How could she not? If they had never captured Sakura in the first place…none of this would have happened.

Itachi met her eyes coldly, and Tsunade wondered if she'd made the right choice. She wondered at Sakura's last words, and she couldn't see what Sakura saw, no matter how hard she looked.

Itachi turned to look at Naruto. Crimson met tear-stained blue.

And then Itachi was heading to the door, picking up his kunai pack.

"Let's go."

And they went.

All of the Konoha shinobi merely watched them go, their eyes distant and empty. There were no tears now, just stunned silence.

Nothing.

* * *

They walked slowly through the forest, the birds chirping as they went. There was no rain. Just sunshine and warmth. A soft wind blew. 

Deidara lifted his sleeve, brushing the lone tear that fell down his face.

She was gone.

_Sakura-chan…I'll never forget you. I know you couldn't love me like I loved you, but you were there for me. You were a friend and you cared. I never knew anyone could care about us like you did, yeah._

Sasori held onto the puppet underneath his cloak tightly. Its arm hit his chest as he walked, but he ignored it.

_Haruno-san, you were a most interesting person. You tried to understand and accept us in a way that no one else would. You tried to prove to others that we were not monsters._

_Do I agree with you? I don't know._

_But I thank you for trying._

"Dammit…" Kisame gave a loud curse, sending the birds in the trees fluttering into the air. "We were too late. That bastard Tomokazu!"

_Too late…always too late…_

_Kitten…I'm sorry we couldn't get there faster. I guess we won't be able to continue our training after all._

Itachi stared ahead of him.

_Tomokazu. You were right. You did indeed claim Sakura. You took her away from me, even after your death._

_…the Kyuubi didn't read all of the letter. Was there more? He looked to me when he paused. Was that letter why the idiot kept staring at me the entire time we were traveling together?_

_It does not matter._

"Accept it."

Everyone looked to Itachi.

"Sakura Haruno was killed. She was merely a member of Akatsuki. There is no need to mourn."

"My, my, I'm glad I mean so much to you, Itachi. I wouldn't want you to shed any unnecessary tears," Came a teasing voice from ahead of them. They all turned to look at the person standing at the end of the road, hands on hips.

"…it couldn't be…" Deidara whispered to himself.

Itachi looked up at the figure, and there was a long moment of silence, as jade met crimson.

**(A\N: Well? Two more chapters, I think. And then…then Crimson Reflections will end. I'm almost dreading the moment. However, I have a surprise for everyone: I'm continuing the story! This will indeed become an Ita\Saku trilogy. **

**But, so you don't get disappointed, there will indeed be a lemon in this story, so don't think you'll have to wait until the next one. In fact, the lemon is in the next chapter! Well, that's about it. **

**As I promised, two questions!**

**# 1: Is it possible for someone to become addicted to therapy? And If so, how would you treat them?**

**#2: How come the bullets that work are fired, and the ones that don't work are not?)**


	25. Chapter 24: When Jade Meets Crimson

**Chapter 24**

**When Jade Meets Crimson**

"Oooooooooohhhh…" Kisame and Deidara began singing, arms around each others shoulders. They stumbled around the kitchen, almost tripping over the table where Sakura sat, laughing softly at them.

Both of them had been drinking excessively. They'd decided it was a time to celebrate Sakura's rescue and had begun as soon as they'd arrived at the base. It was a new one to Sakura, hidden in Grass. She supposed that was normal, though. After all, why would they head back to Cloud?

Sasori had assured her that they would get her belongings from Cloud soon enough, but they were hard pressed at the moment to get moving again. Grass was hardly their idea of a permanent residence.

Sakura merely took another sip of her tea. She wasn't too fond of alcohol anymore. She supposed that she got what she deserved for drinking before she was old enough to.

Sasori and Itachi had both gone to bed, while Deidara and Kisame had persuaded Sakura to remain with them in the kitchen. She was regretting every minute of it, since all she'd done so far was listen to all of the embarrassing stories the two had to tell that she could have definitely done without.

Besides…she wasn't feeling too happy. She supposed she should have been, but it was difficult. There was a small part of her that felt guilty for deceiving her friends. But she knew…she knew she couldn't have stayed with them.

She was too different now.

Kisame and Deidara had bombarded her continuously with questions and demanded explanations for the reason why she was still alive, but so far they were having no luck. She was tight-lipped and slightly distant, although she remained cheerful.

Sakura rolled a metallic object softly between her thumb and forefinger. The metal had once been cold, but it was now warm from her hand. She'd continued to ponder over the significant object all night.

She jumped slightly at the loud crash as Kisame and Deidara landed on the ground, Kisame hitting his head on the table as he went. She immediately went over to make sure he hadn't split the skin.

She blinked as she brushed the hair out of his face and he gave a grunt, mumbling something under his breath about sake. She rolled her eyes at that as she looked to Deidara. _Is that all Kisame can think of?_

She almost let out a laugh as she saw that he was drooling onto the floor, and he was snoring softly. When she had checked them both over and realized the worst damage either would suffer would be a major hangover, she sighed and stood.

She slowly walked down the hallway, passing by a few closed doorways. One of them wasn't quite closed, and the light struck the darkness of the hallway from inside. She smiled as the door opened a bit more and Sasori nodded at her in greeting.

"Have you been up this entire time?" Sakura asked, her voice slightly concerned.

"Someone must protect your reputation from those two miscreants, Haruno-san." Sasori smiled jokingly.

Sakura grinned in response. "That's sweet of you Sasori."

Sasori nodded. "I was also finishing the retouches on your puppet." He nodded to the table in the middle of his room, where her geisha lay.

"Thanks Sasori." Sakura nodded. "Well, I'm headed to bed. Deidara and Kisame are sleeping in the kitchen. Goodnight!" She called as she headed down the hallway once more.

"Goodnight, Haruno-san." Sasori finished softly as he headed back to his room. He stopped and gave a small smile as he noticed the fact that Sakura walked passed her own room and made a right down the hall.

He then closed his door softly and went back to work.

* * *

The night was cool, with just a slight chill to it. There was still a hint of rain to the air, the smell that Sakura had always loved. The damp soil…She breathed in deeply as she continued down the hall.

She walked to the back of the house as softly as possible, since she didn't want to wake anyone up. 'Anyone' meaning Itachi of course. She slid the back door open as quietly as she could and slipped outside.

She rubbed her arms at the slight chill, stepping off of the wooden porch until she was a good twenty or so feet from the building. The grass felt nice between her feet, and she wiggled her toes into the cool earth.

She flopped herself down onto the ground, the grass acting as a cushion. That was nice, since she still felt a slight soreness from her encounters with Tomokazu. Even after her healing with Tsunade as well as all of her own personal healings when she and the rest of the Akatsuki had stopped every night her muscles continued to ache a bit.

She looked up at the night sky and smiled at the way the stars sparkled. A sad thought hit her as she wondered if Naruto or any of her other friends were looking up at those same stars.

_Is Tsunade looking up at them and wondering at my choice? Does she hate me for making her choose?_

_…or is she hating herself because of _her_ choice?_

She laughed at herself after that thought. Why would Tsunade dwell on it? She wouldn't care anymore. For all intents and purposes Tsunade had washed her hands clean of anything that had to do with Sakura.

No one really cared anymore, did they? After all, _he_ didn't seem to care anymore, right?

_When I saw him I thought…I thought he'd show something._

_But there was nothing there. Not even a smirk._

_Nothing._

_But…_Sakura ripped a few blades of grass from the ground, rubbing them between her fingers. _Is that a sign? I mean…he didn't even smirk. His eyes flashed and that was it. His mouth tightened like he was trying to stop himself from doing something…_

Something flowered in Sakura's chest.

_I should have known…_

_…I guess it's a good thing I can read you, Itachi. Someone else would have given up on you by now._

_…I guess it's a good thing I'm not someone else._

"Can I sit?"

Sakura blinked, looking up in surprise at the man standing in front of her. _Speak of the devil._ She inwardly giggled at the thought. _That's not too far from the truth._

He wasn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak, merely a mesh top and his black slacks. Sakura could see his well-toned chest though the thin cloth. That didn't help the fact that she was already itching to touch him. His hair was just begging to have her hands run through it.

"Sure." Sakura answered back. "Go ahead." _Stop thinking those thoughts, Sakura!_

"Hn." His eyes settled on her form. She had bathed and changed the first time they'd gotten to an inn. She had taken to wrapping herself in her Akatsuki cloak, and this was the first time he'd seen her without it on since they'd left Konoha.

He still didn't know how she had done it. When The Sannin Hokage had come out of the room and told them all that Sakura was dead, he'd searched for her chakra signature and had not found it. How had she _done_ it?

When he sat, she could feel the heat emanating off of him. It made her want to touch him even more, which irked her. She couldn't resist the urge to scoot a little closer to him, until their fingers were merely millimeters from one another. Not that she was expecting him to grab her hand or anything.

Itachi didn't respond to this, she noticed. He just continued to stare at her, his gaze unwavering.

Sakura turned her attention to the metallic object in her hand once more. "I guess…I guess this means I'm really a member now, huh? I wanted to thank you for getting it for me. I mean, if you hadn't picked it up after he died I guess…I guess it would have been hard to find."

"You can give the other ring to Tobi when we meet the rest of the Akatsuki." Itachi answered coolly.

"Hai." Sakura nodded, slipping the ring onto her left pinky. She made a face as she turned to Itachi. "I hope you washed this. I don't want that snake man's germs. He could have had a disease or something."

"Hn."

That one sounded almost like a laugh, right?

"It doesn't fit right. I'll have to get it resized. Is that possible? Or will Leader-sama murder me or something?" _You're babbling again Sakura._

"Hn."

"Itachi…are you angry with me?" Sakura whispered uncertainly. She rubbed a hand over her arm, and it was then that Itachi's eyes fixed upon the strange signature placed there.

"Oh." Sakura's eyes trailed to where he looked. "It's nothing—"

He grabbed her wrist, pulling her arm straight so he could see it better. His eyes trailed over the cruelly written kanji. He knew from the way she cringed as his eyes roved over the lettering that it was Tomokazu who had done this to her.

Sakura watched his other hand lift to her arm, tracing the kanji with tentative fingertips. It felt nice. Apparently Tsunade had been unable to take away the scarring on her arm. It would be a constant reminder to her of what had happened. She would never be able to forget.

"You never told me how you escaped Konoha." Itachi continued to look at the scar, waiting for Sakura to answer.

Sakura blinked, before giving a small smile. "Well, I didn't escape. Tsunade-shishou let me go."

"Hn."

"I know it's hard to believe…" Sakura looked at him from the corner of her eye. She didn't want to say anything to him about her last conversation with Tsunade. Not now, at least. Maybe not ever. Because _that_ would definitely not be good.

"Hn."

"Will you stop with the 'hn' already?" Sakura snapped out. She wasn't angry, she just had to snap at him for something. She was getting butterflies in her stomach from the way his fingers were trailing down her arm.

It wasn't an unpleasant feeling at all, and that was why she was forced to babble and snap at him, so that he didn't see that he was turning her into a pile of quivering mush with such a simple touch.

Itachi looked up at her with one of his smirks.

"Hn."

"For the love of—" She began, but didn't get much else out. Talking is very difficult when someone's mouth is covering yours. His tongue licked her lower lip and she willingly opened her mouth to give him access.

Itachi almost smirked again at the hungry way she kissed him back. He didn't know why he'd gone through with his sudden impulse to kiss her, but he was glad he had. It had been too long since he'd kissed Sakura Haruno.

And he was going to erase every trace and memory of Tomokazu from her mind.

Sakura went through with her earlier urge and ran her hands through his hair. It was so soft. She hadn't expected his hair to feel that nice. It was strange, the fact that she believed she could spend the rest of the night just stroking his hair.

All Sakura could think of was the fact that this felt so right, as his mouth moved over hers. Sakura and Itachi…together…

That was all she had wanted for so long now. Just a moment alone with him again. To see him give that condescending smirk. To see those bright crimson Sharingan…wait…

Sakura blinked as she pulled away from him. "Itachi…?"

There was no Sharingan. Just smoky charcoal gray with a hint of blue. Like storm clouds. Sakura lifted her hand and brushed a few locks out of Itachi's eyes.

"Why did you turn off your Sharingan?"

Itachi gave her a look that could almost be classified as confused, as his brows knitted a bit in a way that it was impossible to know he'd even done it unless you had studied his facial expressions.

"It's what you wanted, isn't it?" His voice was soft and controlled, like always. Even after a few intense minutes of making out, he wasn't the least bit out of breath. Sakura envied him.

She merely shook her head softly, "No. Why would you think that?"

"To look more like him. That's what you wanted isn't it?"

It took a moment for his words to sink in. When they did, Sakura did the bravest thing she thought she'd done in her life. She grabbed Itachi's face in her hands, pulling it down a little so that she could stare him straight in the eye.

"No."

She shook her head furiously. "I don't want Sasuke, Itachi. If I wanted him, I would have stayed in Konoha." She gave another smile, more of a smirk then anything else.

"Are you jealous?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed, immediately becoming crimson again. "Hn."

Sakura let out a small laugh, throwing her head back as she did so. "You're _jealous_!"  
"Hn."

She tilted her head to the side as she studied him. She loved the almost pathetic look he gave her, a slightly annoyed one from beneath his charcoal bangs. It seemed so out of character, and she liked that too. It was good to see that Itachi Uchiha had more than one facial expression.

"I think it's cute, Itachi." Sakura answered back truthfully. His gaze was almost condescending, especially at the word 'cute', but that was how she liked him.

He bent down, his nose brushing against her cheek as he whispered in her ear, "I'm not here to be cute, Sakura."

She licked her suddenly dry lips. Her chest was heaving, her breasts grazing his bare chest through the thin cloth of her shirt.

And Itachi decided that he was going to continue this somewhere else. After all, he didn't know if he could continue this any longer while outside. Especially with Sasori just down the hall, who was prone to walking outside at night to think.

So he picked her up in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist as they headed inside, still kissing. Sakura didn't think much of it as they headed down the hall passing her room. All she could think of was Itachi's mouth on hers.

* * *

Her scent addled his brain, and Itachi's thoughts—those that managed to develop at all—were focused strictly on getting both of them free of clothing. And that was just what he decided to begin doing as he sat her down on the bed.

Sakura closed her eyes for a second at the sensation of Itachi's fingers trailing across her stomach. He was kissing her neck, his tongue grazing over the sensitized flesh in a way that made Sakura let out a small moan.

She opened her eyes with the realization that she was no longer wearing a shirt. How Itachi had managed to rid her of it while she had been lost in her small little world of pleasure was a mystery to her, but she decided she didn't really care.

She wondered how she must look to him. He, after all, was the experienced lover. She, on the other hand, was far from experienced since she'd only had consensual sex once, and she hadn't even known then that she was having sex because she'd been so drunk.

If he thought, however, that she was merely going to whimper beneath him he was wrong. She was going to make him groan at least once. That was her goal, anyway. She was going to make him give a little too.

And so she used her strength to flip him over on the bed, reversing their positions. She straddled his hips, now only in her bra and underwear. He, on the other hand, was still wearing pants.

She'd have to fix that.

At the moment he was merely looking up at her with one eyebrow raised. And then she was under him again, because he apparently didn't like being submissive. Of course, she hadn't really expected him to be. She merely gave her own smile.

"I like being on top." Came his smug reply. That arrogant bastard. He had the nerve to sound cocky about it.

Sakura pursed her lips, giving a small pout she hoped looked sensual. She merely turned to pout into a triumphant smile as she grabbed a hold of the hem of his pants and jerked them down roughly.

God, she knew how to excite him. It was in the way her hands teased the hem of his boxers after he'd fully slipped out of his slacks. For someone who didn't have any experience she sure seemed to learn quickly.

"Itachi?" Her voice was scratchy, like a cat's purr.

"Hn?"

She gave a small laugh. "I knew you'd say that." And then she kissed him again, her hands tangling in his hair as he undid the clasp on her bra. She felt it loosen as her breasts fell free of their bindings.

His lips trailed down her neck, his tongue teasing her collarbone. She let out a small gasp as his breath fluttered against the valley between her breasts. The gasp turned into a full-fledged groan as he took one of her breasts into his mouth.

She couldn't ignore the way her body instinctively arched up against him, as one hand trailed down to his back, trailing down his spine. She wrapped her legs around him, feeling a minor irritation that he could cause her to become this wild just with his _mouth_.

_Just think of what he can do with—_Sakura cut off her own wicked thoughts. Mostly because he was slipping off her underwear with expert hands. She looked up at him, her eyes glazed with passion.

"No…fair…" She managed to gasp out between soft moans as she threw her head back against the pillow. She felt everything against her skin, as if Itachi's touch had sensitized it. The firmness of the mattress beneath her, the pressure of the springs that burrowed into her back, the almost chilling softness of the silken sheets, the itch of her own hair as it rubbed against her bare neck, the soft weight of his body over hers, the warmth of his lips as they moved against her skin, and the fact that the air was becoming stuffy and hot.

He let out a soft chuckle, which she found infinitely sexy. It turned her on even more, which she didn't think was possible. She grabbed for his boxers, hooking her finger in the edge of it.

She tugged gently, which made Itachi want to groan in anticipation. Why was she going so _slow_? Did she know that she was torturing him with this heated foreplay? Itachi Uchiha always got what he wanted _when_ he wanted it. And he wanted to take her _now_.

He roughly pushed her legs apart, noticing that she didn't provide any resistance, just looked up at him hesitantly. He could see a small amount of fear flickering behind her jade eyes, and he knew she was remembering when he had raped her.

Her skin trembled as he ran a hand down her arm. He stopped from moving forward with his plans as he did the one thing that shocked her the most. He bent down and whispered to her.

"Tell me if you wish to stop."

Sakura froze at that, her hands tightening on his shoulders. She stared up at him, seeing a bit of uncertainly and worry flash across his crimson gaze. He was afraid she was going to say no? In truth…she felt a small part of her, a nagging fear, that begged her to ask him to stop.

_I'm strong now, aren't I? I can handle everything, even those memories. I've gotten over them and through them before. _

_But even as those words of reassurance appeared in her mind, snatches of previous events flashed before her eyes. Pictures of Tomokazu and Itachi. The reminder of her failure to help her friends, as she watched helplessly as they tried to rescue her. _

_Strength? Hardly._

And her body began to shake.

"Itachi…" She pressed softly against his chest with her hands, "…I think we should stop…"

There was a moment of tense silence as he stared down at her, and she wondered if he would listen. He merely rolled off of her, his gaze hidden and his feelings masked like always. She didn't know what to think.

The comfort of the mattress tugged at her, but she pushed aside the thought as she sat up before getting off of the bed completely. The coolness of the floor helped to harden her resolve to walk away.

She grabbed her shirt, slipping it on and forgetting about the bra during the uncomfortable, taught silence. She slipped on her underwear and pants, feeling Itachi's gaze on her as he watched her.

_I'm sorry Itachi._

_It's just too much._

She wondered if he noticed the fact that she almost ran from his room, as she closed the door hurriedly behind her. She waited outside for a moment, her heart pounding, wondering if he would come out to stop her from leaving.

A small part of her wished he would.

He didn't.

So she walked down the hallway to her own room, tears stinging her eyes.

_I guess I'm not as strong as you thought._

* * *

She spent the next two hours sitting on her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees, which were brought up to her chest. Crickets chirped in the background. They sounded lonely.

_Like me._

Sakura wondered if perhaps she had just given up the only chance she had ever had. The only chance for true happiness.

Her eyes narrowed as she tightened her grip around herself. _If I wasn't such a damn frightened weakling this wouldn't have happened!_

_If I could have just…forgotten all about that night._

_Why didn't Itachi just use his Mangekyou to make me forget?_

_It would have made things easier for both of us._

A small gust of wind blew into her room, encircling her. She looked up to see her window open. She'd left it open since earlier in the afternoon when they'd arrived at the base.

She slipped off her bed, heading to the window. She closed her eyes as the cool wind hit her. It was a welcoming relief from the heat his fingers and lips had evoked upon her.

Once again the damp smell of the morning's rain hit her.

_Itachi…I'm just…I'm afraid that if I give in, everything will change. And I'm afraid of the changes. _

_Will you cast me aside like a common whore?_

_Will I matter to you at all anymore? I remember your words, so long ago…_

_**"I'm not your whore."**_

_**"Oh? But that is all you are to me."**_

Sakura gripped her shoulders, squeezing her eyes shut. No crying. She wouldn't allow it. "Itachi…" Even if no tears came, her voice betrayed the way she felt. It trembled and broke as she breathed in shakily.

"Why does it have to be this way? I…I loved you but I…I _can't_ love you." She shook her head furiously, ignoring the jeering voices inside of her head, as well as the pleading ones.

"I can't because you're a killer and you don't care about my feelings."

Her shoulders shook as she suppressed her tears.

"I can't because you ruined Sasuke-kun's life."

The wind continued to blow around her, and she heard the soft call of the wind chimes. Haunting…

"I can't because you're hunting Naruto."

She was so alone and confused.

"I can't because…because you raped me."

The world seemed so desolate then. Dark and brooding. She had left Konoha for Itachi and now she wasn't so sure she'd made the right choice.

_**"Tell me if you wish to stop."**_

Her eyes shot open, as the full weight of what he had said hit her. He had asked if she wished to stop. He had given the choice, the _power_, to her. And when she'd said no…he'd let her go.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, breathing in deeply as she gave a small smile. Her bare feet took her noiselessly across the room.

She closed the door behind her, before she began heading down the hall with steady steps and quickened breaths.

"I can love you…"

A smile lit her face as she resisted the urge to run to the door.

"I can love you because you gave me the bed."

_**"You can have the bed."**_

"I can love you because you stayed the night with me when I was afraid."

**_"Itachi…could you maybe…stay?"_**

**_The sound of someone moving the chair ceased, and Sakura heard someone sit down in it. She could feel the presence beside her bed. There was silence after that, however, as if the person in the chair wanted to remain inconspicuous and undetectable._**

**_He'd stayed._**

"I can love you because you said no."

**_"Make love to me and make me forget everything else."_**

**_…_**

_…_

_…_

_"**No."**_

"I can love you because you said I was strong."

**_"I've broken her will." Tomokazu laughed darkly. "I've completely taken control of her."_**

_"**That's impossible."**_

**_"And why is that?"_**

**_"Because she is strong."_**

She stopped in front of his door, breathing in deeply.

"And I can love you…because you let me choose."

And then she knocked softly. And waited.

"Can I come in?"

"Hn."

* * *

She slid the door open, closing it behind her. She wondered if he was surprised that she was back. The floor was cold beneath her feet, freezing them. She ignored it as she walked over to the edge of the bed.

He was leaning against the headboard, no shirt on. She couldn't tell if he was wearing pants or not, since the blanket was pulled up around his waist, preventing her from getting a good look. Unfortunately.

She stopped next to the edge, her breath shaking with her nervousness. This was probably the hardest decision she had ever had to make. She wondered if he would stop her, as she crawled onto the bed, sitting down next to him.

Nothing.

She turned to look at him, catching his eye as she noticed that he had been watching her the entire time.

"Itachi…?"

There was no 'hn' this time. He just watched her.

She leaned forward, brushing her lips against his.

…

…

…

"Don't stop."

His mouth crashed down hungrily against her own, and she was glad that she wasn't wearing a bra. In his haste to rid her of her clothes, he would have become sorely vexed to find anything extra in the way.

He had miraculously shed himself of his own clothing as he positioned himself comfortably over her. Another shiver ran down her spine, but this wasn't one of fear. No, she realized that it was anticipation, and a strange pleasure that she couldn't identify.

As their tongues chased each other inside of her mouth, he slowly slipped inside of her. He felt her moan into his mouth at the sensation, and it pleased him. It was an innocent, naïve moan.

He'd never been with a woman to experience her first time—the rape didn't count. It was strangely satisfying, to know it was him that was bringing her this pleasure. She gripped his shoulders tightly as he eased down further.

She felt as if for the first time in her life, she was complete. As if Itachi himself were the piece of the puzzle that had just now fit itself perfectly into place.

She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, marveling at the breathtaking sensation of Itachi moving inside of her. She'd never felt anything like this before. It was…exhilarating.

_My god…Itachi Uchiha…_

_My Uchiha…_

_…why was I a fool to wait so long for this?_

His arms were braced on either side of her, a steady, solid reminder that this wasn't a dream. For surely this pleasure couldn't possibly be real. If she had been thinking normally she would have pinched herself to see if she was asleep. But then again, pinching herself was _far_ from her mind.

His strong movements pressed her softly into the mattress, and she didn't mind the fact that he was completely in control. She trusted him completely, but she felt a small moment of fear at the thought that she was giving him everything now.

"_Itachi_…" She groaned out as he began to move faster, with strong, confident strokes.

He let out his own growl, a primal possessive sound at the way she moaned his name. She would never say anyone else's name that way. Just his. The growl itself would have been enough to give Sakura an orgasm, if she thought about it clearly. That sound…dammit he could make anything sound sexy.

She let out a loud groan next to his ear as her hips lifted to meet his as he quickened his thrust. Her hands clutched his shoulders, her nails digging into the hard muscle.

Their bodies seemed eternally entwined, sweat mingling with sweat.

This was what she had wanted. Everything she could have possible dreamed of. When she had been younger, it had been the younger Uchiha who had entertained her dreams of being her first.

But there was only one Uchiha who she thought of now. Who held her body and soul.

It was not Uchiha Sasuke.

She vaguely remembered yelling out his name a few times, but her thoughts were so blurred that everything just melded together. She never wanted to leave this place, the strange land of pleasure and peace that she had found. A place she could have never found without him.

She didn't want to return to the real world. She didn't want to wake up and realize that it could perhaps never happen again. That she would be alone again.

The thought fled as she felt lightheaded and climaxed, screaming his name. She felt him find his release a second later, and they lay there, sweat dripping from their bodies.

She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes as she savored the moment. He shifted, and she felt him roll off of her. It was over. Would it ever happen again? She unconsciously reached for him, grabbing his hand.

She opened her eyes to see him watching her strangely, his crimson eyes locked onto her jade ones. She let go of his hand with a small smile, as she realized that he was still on the bed. He wasn't leaving.

She lifted a hand brushed a few strands of hair from his face, and she wondered if he could see it in his eyes. If he could see the words she was too tired to speak.

_Itachi…_

_…I love you._

And then she drifted off to sleep before she could search for an answering look in his own eyes.

* * *

**(A\N: So? How did you like it? Was it everything you guys wanted? The next chapter will be the last chapter of Crimson Reflections (the epilogue), and then the new story will begin.**

**I'm out for the summer, so I should have more time to dedicate to these stories, hopefully. Who else thought a growling Itachi is sexy? Whoo, I have to fan myself to keep from fainting. :)**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka**

**Question: Is Santa so jolly because he knows where all the bad girls live?)**


	26. Epilogue

**(A\N: Wow. I didn't think I would get this to you so quickly. I'm going to love summer break! Enjoy!)**

**Epilogue**

Sakura's brows furrowed in annoyance as she rolled over on the bed. She could feel the heat of the sun coming through a window, hitting her bare back. The sheets were crisp and cool. Her body felt exhausted and her muscles ached slightly. But that wasn't what had awoken her.

No, it was the fact that someone was licking her cheek. And that someone had a very cold nose and a rough tongue.

_Itachi? What the hell?_

She opened her eyes, only to meet soft brown. She blinked a few times, before her face was attacked once more by a rough tongue. She let out a sputtering yelp as she sat up, holding the excited little ball of fur at arms length.

It wriggled in her grasp, trying to reach forward to lick her again. She stared down at the thing in confusion. It was a little Akita puppy, with powder white fur. Its tail wagged as it seemed to notice her endearing gaze, and he looked up at her with those big puppy dog eyes that always turned her to mush.

"Hello little one." Sakura greeted. Something inside of her constricted at the sight of the dog. It reminded her of little Naruto. "How did you get in here? I don't see Itachi as the type of person to own a little puppy." She laughed at the thought as she placed the pup in her lap, scratching his ear absentmindedly. Hit rough little tongue licked her hand as she did so.

She looked around Itachi's room with a wandering gaze. He wasn't there, but she hadn't really expected him to be. Staying to hold her well into the morning so that they could wake up next to each other would have been too good to be true. By the height of the sun, she guessed that it was closer to noon then morning, and she must have slept in.

That was when she spied the small scroll on the table beside the bed. She wouldn't have paid it much attention, except for the fact that it had her name written on it. She looked around the room for a moment, as if just waiting for Itachi to enter and reprimand her for going through his things.

After a few moments of silence, she grabbed the scroll and unraveled it.

_Sakura, _

_This dog followed me home from training and I thought you might want it. The dog looks hungry. Feed it._

_Itachi_

Sakura grinned at that, as she looked down at the little dog, feeling happy tears sting the corners of her eyes. She petted his smooth fur and laughed. "You aren't from the woods, little pup. But I won't tell Itachi he was being sweet. It'll just embarrass him." She had seen the well-groomed fur and knew the little puppy had been bought, not found.

But if Itachi wanted to pretend he had just found it and gave it to her because it was annoying then she would let him.

_Itachi…_She really was speechless. He had actually bought her a dog. She had read between the lines of his little note. Perhaps she was even reading too _much_ into it, but the soft question of forgiveness for destroying little Naruto was blatantly apparent.

And that fact made her smile. The small knot of worry in her chest loosened, and it was replaced with a strange something that fluttered where her heart was. She had been so afraid that it would be over and he would want nothing to do with her after he'd taken her. But…the puppy was a silent promise to her.

A promise that he wasn't going to leave…even if he wasn't there in the morning.

She slid out of bed, grabbing the closest thing she could find to clothing and slipping it over her head. She found herself in Itachi's shirt, which hung to her hips.

She picked up the pup, hugging it to her as she whispered, "You don't know how special you are to me, little pup." He began to lick her cheek and she laughed again. "I'll have to find a name for you, won't I? Well, before I feed you, let's go to my room and get changed. Then we'll head to the kitchen for some food, alright?"

The little dog gave a small yip which she took as a yes as they headed out the door.

_Itachi-kun…_

_…thank you._

* * *

Deidara walked down the hall and stopped in front of Sakura's room for the second time that morning. The first time had been earlier that morning to see if she could relieve the throbbing between his eyes and the knot on his head where he'd apparently hit it on the floor.

But the first time he'd gone, she hadn't been there.

He gave a sad smile, one full of pain and acceptance. He'd realized where she was instantly. It wasn't hard to sense her chakra signature, that soft and subtle presence that he'd always searched for wherever he went.

In Itachi's room.

He gave a soft sigh as he lifted his hand to knock. He was rather proud of himself for accepting it as well as he had. Strangely enough, he was happy that Sakura was happy, even if Itachi didn't deserve her.

She was the one thing he believed he actually cared about now, and he just wanted to make her smile.

He heard her soft laughter come from her room, unconsciously making Deidara smile. Her laughter always did that to him.

Maybe Sasori was right. Art lasted forever, as painful as it was sometimes. His love for Sakura would never diminish. It would remain and he would hurt when he saw her with Itachi, but he would be happy for her too.

Of all the people in the world Sakura deserved to be happy.

And Deidara would be there for her, whenever she needed him. He gave a small smile as he knocked.

"Come in!"

He opened the door with another thought and a grin. _The moment I see a rift in your relationship, Itachi, I'm going to do everything in my power to take her from you._

"Oh! Deidara!" Sakura smiled at him brightly, and he didn't think he'd ever seen her smile like that before. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better, yeah." _Never stop smiling like that Sakura..._

_We're rivals, Itachi. You and me, yeah…_

_And I think I like it that way, for now._

"You look like your head hurts, here, let me see." He felt her cool, efficient medic-nin fingers brush across his brow and he resisted the urge to close his eyes to savor the feeling.

He just smiled at her.

"Thanks Sakura-chan, yeah."

* * *

Itachi Uchiha was sitting on the ground, leaning against the tree trunk in the middle of the clearing. He'd awoken earlier that morning to the strange sensation of someone breathing against his neck.

Sakura had been curled against him, hands on his chest. He had merely stared down at her for a moment, before slipping out from beneath her cautiously since he did not wish to wake her.

Sakura Haruno in his bed. The picture would forever be etched in his mind, of that moment when he had looked back from the open doorway to see her sprawled across his mattress, the sheets tangled around her body and her mussed hair hanging in her face. He liked the picture.

But Itachi Uchiha also hated it. It showed his weakness that he had developed due to the pink-haired kunoichi from Konoha. He hated that weakness. But…he also realized that perhaps having a weakness merely meant he was human.

For a long time he'd wondered about that. He had ruefully joked silently that he was born a demon. Surely no human could be as heartless as he was. It would explain his readiness to kill the people who had brought him into this world. But he had a weakness now. He was utterly human.

He heard her soft laughter floating through the house, followed by a soft yip of excitement. He smirked at the sound.

"Dammit kitten! Tell that puppy to shut the hell up! Some of us are trying to sleep!" Kisame's roar echoed throughout the base.

"Don't talk to Sakura-chan like that, yeah!" That was Deidara, still trying to defend her—which continued to irk Itachi.

"Haruno-san will most likely be hungry. Perhaps you two could stop bickering long enough for her to eat?" Sasori had intervened before someone was seriously hurt, just like always.

"Just as long as she doesn't eat _loudly_." Came Kisame's pained whine.

"Oi, Kisame. Let me fix your head before you bite someone else's off." Came Sakura's bland reply, a teasing undertone to her voice, as if she were enjoying his discomfort to a small extent.

_She's turned them into an annoying family._ Itachi thought as he stood, his Akatsuki robe shifting beneath him. _Shinobi do not need families._

_They do not need attachments._

He stopped for a moment, his hand resting against the wooden column of the porch.

_But even shinobi are merely human._

Another small smirk appeared as he headed into the house. He could imagine the look Sakura would give him—an averted glance and a bright blush as she stuttered out a greeting or a thank you for the dog.

_I will not let you be a weakness to me, Sakura Haruno._

_I will merely train you until you are no longer a hindrance. _He tried to sound annoyed at the idea, but in truth, he wasn't. Training Sakura would certainly be…interesting. _When you are no longer a hindrance, you will no longer be a weakness._

He entered the tea room, seeing all four of them seated at the table, a small white ball of fur sitting in Sakura's lap. Their eyes met and he smirked as he saw the blush before she looked away, stuttering out a greeting.

So predictable…

_I said you were strong, Sakura Haruno. Now I will make you stronger._

He _was_ the Uchiha prodigy after all. He could do whatever the hell he wanted to. He watched Sakura from the corner of his eye as he sipped his tea.

Starting with Sakura Haruno.

The thought gave him more pleasure then it should have. For some odd reason, he wanted the day to end quickly. The sooner it was night, the sooner he could taste his blossom once again.

It was if she sensed his thoughts, or perhaps she had actually read his mind, for she stood hurriedly. "I'm going to take a bath. We're heading out in a few hours, right?"

"Yeah." Deidara answered back readily.

She slipped out of the room, and Itachi stood.

"Where are you headed, Itachi?" Kisame asked, sill holding an icepack to the side of his head.

Instead of the usual 'hn', he gave an actual answer.

"Training." And then he left the room as silently as he had entered. Deidara and Kisame shrugged it off, continued to fight over who deserved the last rice ball.

Sasori merely smiled to himself, giving a soft chuckle that went unnoticed by his two companions. _Training indeed, Itachi._

The last time Sasori had checked, the training grounds were nowhere near the bathhouse.

_Training indeed…_

**END**

**(A\N: It's finished! The second installment in the trilogy has officially ended. Now on to the third story!!!!!**

**So, here are my projects for this summer:**

_**Maelstrom**_** the third story of the Ripple in the Pond trilogy**

_**Shades of Grey**_**: my Sasuke\Sakura fic (don't hurt me Sasuke haters!)**

**The alternate Deidara-Sakura ending (no title yet)…hopefully. (I will have to feel inspired to write that one, so it might be later)**

**I hope you have all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I've loved developing the relationship between Sakura and Itachi and I hope to continue loving it as I make their relationship grow in the next story. **

**I want to thank all of you (your reviews kept me going). I can't tell you how much I appreciate you all.**

**Sincerely, **

**Lady Hanaka**

**Question: Why do gas stations lock their bathrooms? Are they afraid that someone is going to clean them?)**


End file.
